


Welcome to the Haunted Mansion

by SilverWolfPen



Series: Team Owlet [1]
Category: Haunted Mansion (Ride), The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Post YBOS, Slow Burn, lumity fluff, now with art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 82,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26997592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWolfPen/pseuds/SilverWolfPen
Summary: Luz, Amity, Willow, Gus, Boscha, Skara, and King are forced to take shelter in a secluded house in the woods during a boiling rain storm. What appears to be an abandoned manor soon turns into a ghostbusting adventure as they come face to face with the cursed souls trapped inside. Will Team Owlet survive the night and solve the mystery alongside the enigmatic Ghost Host? Or will they become the next addition to the 999,993 residential souls? There’s always room for more...
Relationships: Amity Blight & Luz Noceda & Willow Park & Gus Porter, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha & Skara (The Owl House)
Series: Team Owlet [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034751
Comments: 292
Kudos: 335





	1. Welcome, Foolish Mortals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated: 01/13/21  
> A huge thank you and shoutout to Masked Maverick for creating this amazing fan art for this story. Please go check them out of Twitter - @MaverickCreator - and show them love for their work.

* * *

_  
“In a dark dark wood, there was a dark dark house. In that dark dark house, there was a dark dark room. And in that dark dark room, was a dark dark cupboard. And in that dark dark cupboard, was a dark dark box. And in that dark dark box_ **_there was a ghost!_ **”

Six different shrieks filled the air, instantly followed by one howling with laughter. Luz clutched her sides and tumbled onto her back, hardly attempting to stop herself as tears fell from her eyes. “You - you should see your faces! You look so scared!”

“Weh!” King scrambled to his feet and growled. “I was not scared! I was...showing off my nimble reflexes as the great warrior I am!” A crack of thunder sent the scruff of his fur standing on hand and he yelped, darting into Luz’s arms. “See? See how fast I was?”

Smiling, Luz gave the demon a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, you moved alright.” She grinned at the rest of the party shuffling back into the small ring they had made around her conjured light glyph, the only sense of comfort in their rather grim surroundings. In total, there were seven of them: Luz, Willow, Gus, Amity, King, Skara, and Boscha.

What was originally a simple potion run to Bonesborough’s weekend flayer’s market, not farmer’s, for Luz and King had quickly turned into a friend hangout when they came across Willow and Gus. Not long after, Amity had joined the party when she and Luz practically walked into each other face-to-face by the Not-Dog stand, as always causing the green-haired witch to go beet-red. When Luz had invited her to tag along, the color in her face eased off to a soft pink on her cheeks and Amity agreed, relaxing enough to show the human some of the better vendor stalls she enjoyed frequenting.

The weather had started out pleasant and enjoyable for the friend squad, but as the day progressed, so did the clouds gathering in the sky. When thunder began to rumble overhead, they all agreed it was time to get out of the open.

“We can hunker down at the Owl House to wait it out,” Luz offered up as they left the marketplace. Already, demons and witches were packing up their stalls, eyes turned nervously upward at the collecting clouds. “I’m sure Eda won’t mind us all hanging out to wait for the storm to pass.”

“Are you sure about that?” Amity glanced back at the disappearing market. “We're still a good thirty minutes away, and the rain looks like it’s close to falling.”

“I think we can make it, if we walk fast.”

Willow, Gus, and Amity looked at her dubiously.

“Okay, if we walk really fast.”

A peal of thunder rolled right overhead.

“Okay, if we walk really, really fast.” Luz suddenly staggered back as King yanked on her hoodie.

“Less talkie, more walkie!”

With that, the four jogged out of the town and down the road leading towards the forest where the Owl House resided. There were still a few bottles of potions Luz had not been able to deliver, she hoped Eda’s customers, and Eda herself, would understand, the bag bouncing against her back as she hurried along the path. Another rumble of thunder came from above and a single steaming drop of rain fell, almost catching Luz’s nose. Not good.

“Incoming!” She yelled, diving into the forest as the sky finally let loose a torrent of boiling rain that almost at once began to burn at their surroundings. Willow grabbed the back of Gus’ shirt to yank him out of the downpour, their backs flat against the tree trunks of the forest.

“We can’t stay here,” Willow jolted from a blob of water that slipped between the canopy. “The trees won’t be able to keep us safe for long.”

“Where else are we going to stay?” Gus pulled his cowl over his head. “The Owl House is too far away and we won’t be able to hold a forcefield over ourselves for long.”

“I think I know of somewhere else we can stay.” The group looked at Amity as she carefully leaned out to look down the road they were currently on, her eyes narrowing to study whatever was ahead, hidden in the steam rising from the ground. “But, we’ll have to go out into the rain.” She looked at the group. “Luz, you can't summon a forcefield yet, can you?”

Luz shook her head. “Yeah, haven’t figured out the glyph for that one.”

“Okay. Gus and Willow, how long can you keep your shields up?”

“Five minutes,” they responded in unison.

Amity nodded. “Okay, that should just be enough time for-”

“Hey!”

The group jumped at the shout and turned to see two figures running towards them, kicking up hot mud and steam as they struggled to maintain their own magic shields over their heads. Amity’s eyes widened.

“Boscha? Skara? What are you doing out here?”

The three-eyed witch glared at the group as recognition quickly dawned on her face. “Well, if it isn’t the Loser Brigade? Should you all be at home with your mommies and daddies? Oh wait,” she leered at Luz. “I forgot, you can’t go home to your mommy anymore, can you?”

Amity took a step forward and growled, but Luz grabbed her arm to hold her back. “What do you want, Boscha?”

“Same thing as you losers, shelter from the rain.” She looked at Amity, an eyebrow quirked. “You were going to the Pandor Mansion, weren’t you?”

“Why does it matter to you?” Lifting her chin haughtily, Amity crossed her arms over her chest. The smug gesture reminded Luz of the early days when she had first met Amity. “After the last lunar eclipse, I thought you said you never wanted to go back to that place? Something about too many ghosts scaring you?”

Instantly, Luz perked up. “Ghosts? Where?” She grabbed Amity’s hands, almost jarring King out of her hoodie. “Are you telling me there’s an actual haunted house on the Boiling Isles?” A snort from Bosha made her turn her head.

“I never said I was scared,” Bosha crossed her arms in a huff and looked away. “They were just too annoying.” From behind her, Skara frowned.

“That’s not how I remember it.”

Boscha glared at her friend.

“Um, hello?”

Amity flinched from Luz’s hand waving in her face and looked at the human.

“Two things: one, where are we going to hunker down to wait out the rain? And two,” Pure excitement radiated from her face. “Is it at the haunted house? Please tell me it’s at the haunted house!” Luz rocked back and forth on her heels, her eyes locked on Amity’s pink face and, sighing, the witchling slowly nodded.

“Yes, that is where I was thinking we could stay.” Her ears flattened at the high-pitched squeal coming from Luz’s mouth.

“This is gonna be so cool! I can’t wait to see my first actual ghost!”

“Well, about that,” Amity dared to look at Boscha and Skara. “No one knows if it is actually haunted. There are a lot of rumors, but no one has actually been able to prove anything.”

A branch snapped and crashed to the ground beside the small group, allowing a stream of boiling waters to cascade down, hitting the ground and sending spatters of burning mud around them. Yelping, Luz all but magnetized herself to Amity’s side to hide beneath the glowing forcefield she had conjured, sending all the blood from Amity’s brain to her face.

One of these days, this human would be the death of her.

“Enough talking,” Amity looked at the surrounding witches and stepped out onto the muddy road. “The Pandor Mansion is our closest source of shelter and is only a few minutes from where we are now. I’m not going to let a bunch of crazy rumors and ghost stories keep me from staying out of the rain.”

Willow and Gus nodded to each other and, summoning their own shields, joined Amity and Luz, King still huddled in the girl’s hoodie.

“Skara? Boscha? You coming?” Luz glanced back at the witches. Skara looked at Boscha and shrugged. 

“It’s not that bad an idea, at least we won’t be boiled alive.” Twirling her finger to summon a shield, the Bard student jogged up to the group as they slowly shuffled their way along the road. There was a quick patter of running feet and Boscha appeared at their side, her shield above her head.

“We never speak of this to anyone.”

The group trudged across the muddy road, feeling the humidity from the rain weighing down the air around them as the steam rolled in a heavy curtain to obstruct their view. Amity focused on the route they were taking and scanned the trees lining the road. Both to make sure she was leading the group in the right direction and to take her attention off the fact Luz was glued to her side, practically clinging to her arm. Thankfully, the steam from the rain would be a safe enough excuse for the redness on her face. A bead of sweat dribbled down into her eyes and she swiped it off with the back of her free hand. Spotting the silhouette of a crumbling gargoyle, an actual statue, not the living kind, she looked over her shoulder at the party.

“We’re almost there, just a couple more minutes.”

“Hey, Amity?” Luz wobbled when her foot stuck in the mud, forcing her to yank it out. “You sure this place is going to keep us safe? Anytime it rains at the Owl House, Eda has to put up a gigantic forcefield to protect it.”

“That’s because Bird Tube, unfortunately, is alive, which means the house itself is. So, the Owl Lady has to keep it protected from the rain. The place we’re going to would have had the protections laid into the foundation the day it was built. We should be there right about now,”

As if on cue, the shape of a massive wrought iron gate appeared out of the steam to tower over the group. Heavy chains wrapped around the opening to ward off intruders, but one of the gates had been shoved open with just enough space to duck under the chains to pass through.

Cautiously, Amity crouched down and slipped beneath the chains with Luz and King right behind her, motioning for everyone to follow. Gus shuffled nervously, his boots squelching in the mud.

“I don’t know Amity, are you sure about this?”

“What’s the matter Human Lover? Scared?”

Willow glared at Boscha from beside the gate, her hand on the bar as she was about to step through. “Big talk coming from someone who ran away from this place last time, screaming like a little girl.”

Boscha stiffened and stomped over to Willow, shouldering Gus as she passed by and almost knocking him over. “I did NOT run away screaming! Besides, you weren’t here, you can’t prove that happened. So get out of my way, Half-A-Witch.” Before Willow could even respond, Boscha was already ducking under the chain, a huge glob of mud kicking up from her heel to splat Willow in the chest. “Oops,” Boscha sneered over her shoulder, continuing on past Amity.

Once everyone else had gone through the gate, they trudged down the narrow pathway, taken over by the unkempt plants. Steam from the rainstorm seeped through the foliage to obscure what lay before them, but Luz could see the vague shape of what looked like a big house appearing out of the haze. Her opinion of a big house then switched to a very large house once they got closer, then to a very, very large house. All that went away once they finally came to the door.

“Whoa, now that’s a mansion.”

A set of wide, shallow brick stairs laid into the ground led to a towering three story building that seemed to loom over the group, giving the unnerving feeling it was watching them. Four columns were stationed along the front entrance, reaching from the deck that wrapped around the first level to support the roof hanging over a wide balcony on the second level. Ironwork laced along the decks like a metal latic in almost ivy-like patterns. What looked like the domed glass roof of a greenhouse jutted out just off to the right, but the building was so wide, Luz could barely make it out. The style of the house reminded her of pictures she saw of the mansions back on Earth in Louisiana, if they decided to go full-on gothic with a Boiling Isles twist. Keeping up with Amity to stay beneath the forcefield, Luz jogged up the stone steps, doing her best to avoid the puddles of hot rain collecting in the holes. Ancient wood creaked beneath her feet as she stepped onto the landing and stared at the huge double doors as Amity walked past her, dismissing her shield now that they were under the cover of the roof, heading straight for the massive double doors, Skara right behind her. Boscha was already there trying to push them open, grunting from the effort, though the doors clearly were not giving way.

Vines wrapped around the columns and wove through the latic, splitting the floorboards they had managed to grow through. When Luz looked up, she could see an army of spiders and spiderwebs clinging to any nook and cranny they could find. Most of the paint on the house, a faded blue-black, had peeled off to reveal the splintering wood beneath. Her hoodie pulled as King snuggled deeper in, his paws clutching her shoulders.

“Wow, those are some impressive knockers!”

Willow, who had been attempting to scrub the mud off her shirt, jolted as Amity, Boscha, and Skara spun around, all three red in the face.

“ _Luz?!_ ”

Luz, whose face was also red, jerked a thumb over her shoulder at King. “He said it.”

The demon looked around innocently at the wide-eyes fixed on him and shrugged. “What? They are!” He pointed to the door and the huge metal door knockers hanging in the center, made to look like ropes interwoven. Or, were they supposed to be snakes?

“Why. Won’t. You. Open?” Boscha grunted, pushing at the heavy doors with her shoulder.

Walking up to the doors, Luz stared up at the large metallic rings. In the center of each ring, just a couple feet over her head, was carved a wide lidless eye that seemed to jut out of the wood, framed by a triangle pointed straight up. The one on the door Boscha was trying to push open had been slashed, the lines crossing in an ‘X’, but the one Luz had walked to was left unmarred. Off to the side, Amity and Skara were muttering about what to do to open the door. Gus was attempting to help Willow with her muddied shirt. Turning back to the door, Luz reached up and, taking a breath, lifted the knocker and slammed it against the door.

A thunderous boom echoed around the deck and deep into the house, reverberating down the halls. Some of the spiders that had been crawling along the ceiling of the deck slipped from their webs and dangled on the silky strings. There was a click followed by a hiss of air and Luz watched, jaw slack, as the door creaked open. Luz shook her head in an attempt to clear the ringing in her ears and turned back to face her companions.

“I OPENED THE DOOR!”

“WHAT?” Gus rubbed at his ears. “YOU SAID YOU SNORE?”

Rolling her eyes, Willow peeled her hands off her ears. “SHE SAID - ahem- she opened the door.”

“WHY DIDN’T SHE SAY SO?”

Grinning, Luz pushed at the door for it to open all the way, causing the rusted hinges to squeak even louder. Reaching into her pocket, Luz pulled out a light glyph and activated it, sending the glowing orb into the space ahead, setting her potions sack by the door. “C’mon you guys, let’s go in!”

King tugged at her hoodie. “Let’s not! This place gives me the creeps!”

“Aw King, are you scared?”

“The King of Demons is scared of nothing!”

“Then, we’re going in!” Luz took a single step inside, and stopped. “ _Dios mio,_ ”

The foyer of the mansion stretched out before her in a single long hallway that seemed to go on forever, the darkness swallowing up the light of her glyph. Two sets of stairs flanked the hallway, leading up to a small landing that then split into the beginning of another hall leading off to what must be the wings of the mansion. On each side of the hallway entrance stood a suit of demonic armor at attention with a large halberd clutched in the clawed hands. Over the hallway entrance hung a huge portrait of a man posing with two women. The colors of the painting had long since faded, but as she got closer to it she could see it was of a mother and father, posed on either side of their daughter who looked like she was sitting.

“That’s the Pandor family,” Amity said, walking up to Luz and nodding to the portrait. “Astor, Ophelia, and their daughter Emilia. They used to be one of the strongest families on the Boiling Isles, rumored to actually be more powerful than the emperor. Granted, that was back in the Savage Ages before he took the throne.”

“Wow,” Luz stared up at the portrait. Although their faces were poised in a neutral look, something in the daughter’s eyes tugged at her, an almost melancholy gaze in the dulled grey eyes. Her long white hair was tucked behind her ears while the rest, Luz guessed, had been let down at her back. She then noticed a smudged patch just above the girl’s forehead, like someone had rubbed coal dust on the picture, but Amity’s hand on her shoulder pulled her away.

“Skara found a room nearby for us to stay in,”

Blinking, Luz glanced around the foyer. “Why not just camp out here?”

“It’s too open. Besides,” Amiry gave the painting a wary look. “We don’t know what else could be in this house.”

Luz glanced over her shoulder at the portrait again before following Amity. There was a brief tug at her hoodie as King scampered into her arms, his eyes focused on the painting.

“Hey, Luz? Did you see that?”

“See what?” She looked at the demon, but he shook his head.

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“What?”

“I just saw the eyes move in the painting, but that’s normal.”

Luz gulped. “It is?”

“Oh yeah, just not when the people in the painting leave.”

At that, Luz stopped and looked over her shoulder. A ball of ice dropped in her stomach; the daughter in the painting was gone.

“Amityyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!”

Racing in the direction the witchling had gone, feet sliding on dusty marble flooring, Luz shot through the entrance to the room and slammed the door shut. Everyone looked up at her in surprise as she leaned against the door, chest heaving.

“Painting - left - spooky hallway - gone girl.”

“Luz,” Willow stared at her. “What’s wrong?”

Pausing to catch her breath, Luz hugged King. “The painting of the family, the one in the hallway? The daughter’s eyes blinked.”

“Luz, a lot of old paintings do that here.”

“But do the people in the paintings leave?”

Amity stood up from where she had been sitting by the window and walked to Luz. “What do you mean?”

“Just what she said!” King squirmed out of Luz’s arms to the floor.

Frowning, Amity turned the knob and walked back into the hallway, ignoring Luz’s protests as she walked up to the painting. “Luz, no one is missing from the painting.”

“What?” Luz was at her side instantly, gaping up at the now-complete painting, the daughter in the same stiff-back position she had been in before. “But, but King and I saw-”

“Maybe it was a trick of the light or something.” Sighing, Amity placed a hand on Luz’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go back to the room. We need to stay together as a group.” Thunder rolled overhead and a flash of lightning lit up the windows of the foyer, making Luz jump.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Giving the painting one last look, the pair hurried back to the room and closed the door.

The room they were in was large, though not so much that the space felt overwhelming, and octagonal in shape. If Luz had to guess what it was, she would have to go with a drawing room. A fireplace took up one section of the wall and, after a brief discussion and searching for pliable wood, they got a fire going to serve both for warmth and a source of light. A few pieces of worn furniture peppered the floor: two chairs, a couch, and a desk with a candelabra, all worn from neglect and moth-eaten, or whatever the Boiling Isles version of moths was. More portraits hung on the wall, but thankfully none of them were of the daughter and her family, though, Luz found them to be a bit odd.

One picture was of an elderly lady holding a rose, posed as if she were sitting. The second was a male witch wearing a bowler hat, an odd choice of fashion considering this was not the human realm. The third one made Luz frown in confusion; it was of a ballerina holding a parasol. The fourth had another male witch, this one with a beard, reading an old-fashioned paper scroll. Strange subjects for paintings, they must have been relatives of the main family.

Luz shifted on the couch and looked at her companions in various positions on the floor or the furniture. Amity had elected to sit with her on the couch, but on the opposite end, her back to her as she flipped through a book she had found on the desk. King had nestled himself against Luz’s thigh and she stroked his side. Poor Willow was currently seated before the fire still trying to get rid of the mud staining her shirt while Boscha snickered at her from her position on a nearby chair. Luz had tried to entertain them with a ghost story she had heard at camp one year, but it only annoyed the witchlings and set King on edge, so she dropped the idea.

Skara, who was currently leaning against a mostly empty bookshelf, looked up from her scroll and frowned, her ears twitching. “Hey, do you guys hear that?”

From the desk, Gus lifted his head off his arms. “Hear what?”

A low groan came from the door and Skara shot back behind the desk, both her and Gus yelping when the candles sprang to life. Wind hissed down from the chimney, sending the flames roaring out at Willow and Boscha, the three-eyed witch tumbling out of her seat. Behind Luz, a flash of lightning filled the window and she scooted over to Amity, grabbing her in a hug and pinning King between them. The groaning from the door grew louder, and then stopped and the room went quiet. Shivering, Luz looked around the room and her eyes caught something above the fireplace: a long mirror with a crack in its surface. Slowly, words began to trace along the glass in a fine cursive that glowed with green light. Unable to stop herself, Luz read the words out loud.

“ _When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange sounds echo through the halls, whenever candle lights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight._ ”

Amity swallowed, her ears burning from the feeling of Luz holding her, as she studied the writing. “What does that mean?”

Laughter echoed through the room and the raging flames receded to the fireplace, becoming smoldering coals that cast a dim red light. From somewhere above their heads came the creaking of wood and a single voice tumbled down from the shadows.

“ _It means: welcome, foolish mortals._ ”

King screamed.


	2. There’s Always MY Way

The voice laughed around the terrified group as they whipped their heads in every possible direction to find the source. This only seemed to amuse its owner because the laughing grew stronger. Struggling against Luz’s iron-clad grip, Amity managed to free a hand and drew a spell to summon a ball of violet-pink fire in her palm.

“Who’s there?” She yelled at the darkened ceiling.

The laughter finally stopped, easing into a low chuckle. Something seemed to move in the blackness and a shadow slid down the wall to position itself next to the portrait of the ballerina. Its shape shifted into something humanoid as it crossed its ankles and leaned a shoulder against the portrait, the silhouette rippling like flames.

“ _I am your host, your_ Ghost Host _._ ”

Luz swallowed. The voice resonated through her body, sending shivers down her spine and gooseflesh along her skin. She could not tell if the voice was male or female, only that it was deep and did little to hide its amused tone. She felt Amity tense in her arms and the witch glared at the shadow.

“What do you want with us?”

The Ghost Host tilted its head, showing a hint of pointed ears. “ _Why, to welcome you to the Pandor Mansion. Pity you could not make it to your respective homes before the storm, but fear not as there is much to do here. In fact,_ ”

Luz had a sneaking suspicion if the Ghost Host had a face, it would be grinning.

“ _There are many happy haunts here just_ dying _to see new flesh. But be warned, we do have a few… pesky poltergeists slinking around._ ” A faint shriek filled the air, making everyone jump.

Gus scrambled to his feet. “That’s it! I can’t take it anymore! We’re getting out of here!” He bolted from the desk to the door, and stopped. “Um, guys? Where'd the door go?”

King looked behind the sofa. “Where’s the window?!”

“And,” Luz shrank back. “Why are the paintings growing?”

Each of the paintings slowly began to creep up along the walls of the room and Luz’s eyes widened as she watched the elderly lady holding the rose perch daintily on the bust of an old man, a stone hatchet embedded in his head. The witch in the bowler hat sat on the shoulders of another witch, who was sitting on the shoulders of a third, his face full of terror as he stared at the quicksand rising to his waist. In the portrait of the bearded witch, it revealed him to be sitting in his boxer shorts atop a crate full of explosives, the fuse of one burning away. The Ghost Host laughed again when Skara gasped as the portrait of the ballerina revealed her poised on a fraying tightrope over the waiting jaws of a dragon.

“ _It is not your imagination, this room is indeed stretching. These paintings feature just some of our happy haunts in their corruptible mortal states. Now, they are free of their earthly chains, but, even the afterlife has its limits. Much like this very room which as you have discovered by now does not have any windows or doors._ ”

“It’s true!” Gus scratched at the space where the door had been, nothing now but blank wallpaper. Luz and Amity spun around to see the window that had been behind them had also disappeared. Boacha pushed herself off the ground and glared at the shadow.

“Hey, Psycho Ghost! Cut the theatrics and let us out! I don’t want to be stuck in here with these idiots for the night!” Her feet suddenly levitated off the floor and Boscha was lifted into the air, her eyes widening as she was flipped upside down. “Hey! Put me down!”

The Ghost Host stroked the air with clawed fingers, bringing the three-eyed witch level to its “face” to regard her. Luz jumped up from the couch and pulled a light glyph from her pocket, slapping the paper and hurling the orb at the shadow.

“Leave her alone!”

The light orb hit the wall and the Ghost Host dissipated, leaving Boscha to hover for one solid second and then drop. Willow quickly grabbed an armchair and shoved it under the witch as she came crashing down. The cushion instantly gave way and Boscha broke through the seat, her bottom hanging an inch from the floor and her feet sticking up.

“Thanks for the save, Half-A-Witch.” There was a flash from a bulb and she whipped around to see Luz tapping at her phone. “That better not end up on Penstagram!”

“Only if you stop calling Willow names.”

A chuckle cut off Boacha’s words and the Ghost Host reformed in place of Luz’s shadow. _“I like you_ , _you’re a bold one witchling. Or should I say, human?_ ”

Luz yelped and the Ghost Host climbed the wall to sit in the shadow of the chair beside Skara, dangling a leg over an armrest and resting its face on a fist.

“ _I apologize for my antics. You see, it’s been such a long time since a mortal has been in this house. I must remember to not startle you all with my abilities. Centuries of caring for the happy haunts can leave a spirit quite lacking in inspiration._ _You must understand the arrival of six young mortals and a demon can certainly draw attention..._ ”

Skara backed away from the shadow so the desk sat between them.

Unintimidated, Amity approched the lounging spirit, the fire spell still active in her hand. “You keep saying ‘happy haunts’. What are those? And why are you keeping us prisoners?” A high-pitched cackle drifted through the walls, but she did not flinch, her amber eyes fixed on the shadow. “What do you really want with us?”

A low hum came from the silouhetted form, almost akin to a growl. “ _The happy haunts are what I like to call the many souls residing within this mansion, but they are not quite so happy as you might think._ ”

“Why is that?” Luz walked up to them.

“ _The reason why I have brought you to this room, my dear human. They have been cursed to be trapped here in this mansion, unable to pass on after death._ ”

“Gee, I wonder why?”

The shadow turned to Boscha. “ _It is not by my doing, witchling. I merely act as the caretaker for these souls, helping them pass the time as they wait for their purgatory to end._ ”

Willow stood up from her seat beside the fire. “Why are they cursed?”

The Ghost Host hummed again, but this time, Luz could have sworn she heard it sigh. “ _Long ago, when the residents of this mansion were still of the living, a terrible wrongdoing tore apart two souls that were meant to be one. That single moment led to tragedy for the residents and from it, the curse was born. Since then, any life that has met an end in this mansion has been unable to cross over._ ”

Luz stared up at the stretched out paintings, feeling the eyes of the once-living subjects staring down at her. “How many, um, ‘happy haunts’ are here right now?”

“ _999,993, exactly. Of course,_ ” the Ghost Host chuckled. “ _There’s always room for more._ ”

A nervous laugh escaped from Luz’s throat. “Um, no thanks, I think we’re good.” She glanced at her companions and looked back to the ghost. “Have any of the happy haunts tried to break the curse?” She felt six pairs of eyes lock on her, jumping when Amity grabbed her shoulders.

“Luz, what are you doing?” She hissed in her ear, shooting a nervous look at the silent shadow watching them.

“We can’t just sit here all night, in a haunted house when there are 999,990 souls that need to be freed!”

“999,993 souls, actually.” King corrected her.

Luz shot him a look. “Think about it, Amity! Maybe there’s something we can do to help them! The Ghost Host just said they haven’t been able to move on because of a curse, don’t tell me you’d just walk away from the chance to help them?”

“Bearing in mind that if we fail, we’ll be stuck like the rest of them!” Amity objected. Luz started to turn away from her and she put a hand on her cheek, forcing the human to meet her eyes. Chocolate-brown eyes met her gaze pleadingly, sending a jolt of heat into Amity’s stomach, but she kept her hand where it was. “Luz, we don’t even know what we’re up against! How can we trust this ‘Ghost Host’ when we don't know anything about who, or even what, he or she really is?”

“She has a point, Luz,” Gus walked up to them, leaning in to whisper. “This Ghost Host trapped us in here, how do we know they’ll help us?”

A hand rested on Luz’s shoulder and she turned to see Willow. “We’re just five witches and one human -” 

“Hey!” King jumped up. “Don’t forget about me, the King of Demons! I could order these ghosts to free us right away if I wanted to!”

Amity raised an eyebrow. “Then, why don’t you?”

“Weh?” King stared at her and looked between the group's legs to the reclined Ghost Host. For a brief moment, a pair of glowing gold eyes with red slit-pupils appeared in the shadow’s face and it saluted him. Swallowing thickly, King scampered up Luz’s leg and into her hoodie. “Nah, I’m too tired from the market run.”

“C’mon you guys!” Luz pulled away from Amity and grabbed her friends in a group huddle. “We’ve been in tricky situations before, what’s stopping us now? Yeah, we’re currently held prisoners by a freaky shadow-ghost-spirit-thingy, trapped in a haunted mansion, but think about the souls we could help! At least when the boiling rain is over and the sun is up, we can still leave! The souls here can’t!” She grinned widely at Amity, whose face went bright pink. “It’d be just like the _Cavern of Lost Souls_ arc in _Good Witch Azura_ #2! And I don’t know about you guys, but I would not be able to live with myself if I passed the chance to help a bunch of souls cross over to the other side. That’s just not me!”

“Which is adorable,” Amity whispered, smiling to herself.

“What was that, Amity?”

The green-haired witch’s head snapped up and her eyes widened. “N-nothing! I was just agreeing that's totally you! Looking out for others and not giving up till you fix it! Stubborn and caring, that’s you! Not like that’s bad or anything! Those are great qualities to have!”

“ _Someone help that poor girl before she explodes._ ”

Ears burning, Amity whirled around to glare at the Ghost Host. “Be quiet!”

“ _Begging your pardon_ ,” the spirit held up its hands in mock-surrender. “ _I was simply making an observation. I’ve watched it happen to witches before and it is not a pretty sight._ ”

Growling now, Amity summoned another fire spell and stalked up to the shadow. “Want to see if ghosts can die twice?”

“Amity, can I talk to you for a minute?” Luz grasped her arm and tugged her back to their group, waving for Skara and Boscha to join them. “Look you guys, either we stay cooped up in this room for the night and do nothing about the trapped spirits,”

“Fine by me,” Boscha said, shrugging her shoulders.

Luz shot her a look and continued. “Or, we find out how we can help free the 999,993 souls and do something about it. Back in the human world, I watched a lot of tv shows about ghost hunting and haunted houses, so I’ve got a pretty good idea what we’ll be facing.”

“You do?” Skara looked at her and she nodded.

“Yup! As long as we stick together as a group, we’ll be fine! We just have to make sure we don’t act like any horror movie character tropes, and be ready for the montage where a monster chases us through a bunch of doors in the same hallway.”

Gus raised his hand. “Question: what is a trope?”

“Oh, right,” Luz scratched her head. “It’s an idea movies use where a bunch of characters meet certain stereotypes.”

“Question: what’s a horror movie?”

“Can we focus, please?” Sighing, Amity rubbed her eyes. “You really want to help free these souls, don’t you?” Seeing Luz’s puppy-dog eyes, the witchling felt her resolve cave and she slowly nodded. “Alright, alright, I’m in.”

“Yay!” Luz bounced on her feet as Willow and Gus nodded their agreements, looking to Boscha and Skara. “Ladies?”

Skara shifted her feet. “I don’t know Luz...What if we don’t free the souls and get ourselves trapped with them?”

“Trust me, we won’t!” Walking up to the Bard girl, Luz grabbed her hand. “I promise Skara, I’ll make sure none of us are trapped in this mansion. We’ll go home, all of us.”

Snorting, Boscha crossed her arms. “Cute words, Round Ears, but it’s going to take more than a dumb promise to get me to help you and some winney ghosts stuck in a haunted house.”

“Why? You got anything better to do?” Luz bit back a grin when her words rang true and Boscha clenched her already tight grip on her arms, a growl rumbling in her throat.

“...Fine...but don’t expect me to do anything to help you. I’ll just watch you make even bigger losers out of yourselves anyway, might as well do it when we're not all stuck in one room.”

“ _How absolutely moving, I’m touched._ ” The Ghost Host drawled, turning to Luz when she cleared her throat.

“Um, Ms. Ghost Host, or, is it Mr. Ghost Host?”

“ _Just Ghost Host,_ ”

Luz tapped her fingers together shyly. “O-okay, Ghost Host, we’d like to help.” The shadow cocked its head, but remained quiet. Taking a deep breath, Luz took a step closer and continued. “We-we’d like to help free the spirits trapped here, in the mansion. We want to know how to break the curse and help them cross over.”

“ _Is that so?_ ” 

The spirit was silent for a long moment, perfectly still against the wall, making Luz squirm under its “gaze” as it mulled over her words. Worried she may have said something wrong, Luz opened her mouth to say more, but a low chuckle from the shadow cut her off. The chuckle grew into full-on laughter as the Ghost Host floated up from the shadow of the chair and perched like a gargoyle over the cracked mirror and looked down at her. The fireplace burst back to life, the flames roaring up the chimney as the shadow slowly stood, holding out its arms.

“ _Alright my dear human and witchlings, let’s see if you do have what it takes to break the curse. Kindly fill all of the dead space in the center of the room, if you please?_ ”

Everyone crammed together in front of the fireplace.

_It's going to be fine!_ Luz assured her racing mind. _We’re going to be fine! We just need to stay together!_

Wood creaked beneath their feet and the fire continued to blaze up, heating the room to the point Luz could see the air beginning to ripple. From her hoodie, King whimpered and nuzzled against her neck.

“ _Let’s set the scene for our little adventure._ ” The Ghost’s Host’s form began to waver, tendrils of shadow spreading out from its back with the suggestion of wings, crawling along the walls until the fire was all the group could see. “ _I will put you all on the paths you must take to find what is needed to break the curse, but be warned: the happy haunts have not seen a living soul for many years, they will be excitable. They are quite harmless, at least, most of them are._ ”

Next to Luz, Gus squeaked.

“ _And do not worry for your safety witchlings, I will not leave you without assistance, though I am one Ghost Host, some curious haunts may lend their help, if asked correctly. Now, to send you off properly,_ ”

Wind whipped up around the group, giving Luz the nauseating sensation her feet were no longer on solid ground. What in the heck did she get them into? A low hiss whispered up her arms and over her skin as the Ghost Host began to speak.

“ _Tortured souls gathered tonight_

_Frozen in time by a curse from Hell_

_Unable to cross over to find the light_

_Here the path to freedom I spell_

_The smiling Jack_

_Under a moonlit sheen_

_Look for the felled_

_In somewhere that’s green_

_A token of love_

_So strong it cuts stone_

_A heart crushed by sorrow_

_Now wandering alone_

_The music it plays_

_For the dead ones delight_

_The tunes do entrance_

_In the Oracle’s sight_

_Seek out these clues_

_Or in this manor you stay_

_And how do you get out?_

_Well, there’s alway MY way_ ”

The wind blasted Luz from every possible angle, surrounding her with the Ghost Host’s echoing laughter, and she tumbled down in the blinding darkness. She screamed out for her friends, hopelessly groping for someone, anyone, to know she was not along. When she felt fingers against hers, she closed her hand and felt them do the same as they continued to fall, until finally, Luz slammed into the hardwood floor and she sprawled out. Screaming came from above, growing louder by the second, and King cannonballed onto her stomach and Luz felt the hand holding hers release. The blow knocked every ounce of air from her lungs, her chest stinging from the pain of the sudden landing. When she finally remembered how to breathe, Luz gasped and sat up, wincing when her spine popped.

“ _Ay_ , I’m going to feel that tomorrow,” she groaned, rubbing a sore spot at the back of her head. “Is everyone okay?”

Moaning, King rolled off Luz’s legs onto the floor. “I think I broke something…”

“Yeah, my spleen,”

“You’ll grow another one.”

Too sore to argue against that fact, Luz carefully turned to check on the rest of the group, blinking to clear away the blurriness in her eyes. Amity was next to her, slowly getting to her feet and testing her recently mended leg. Luz hoped it had healed from the grugby incident enough so that it would be able to withstand the fall.

“Amity? You alright?”

Lightly hissing as she struggled to stand up, Amity nodded and looked around the room. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”

Luz watched her brush some stray bangs from her face, the orange glow of the fire haloing the mint-green in her hair. When her amber eyes fell on Luz, they smoldered in the soft blaze, and Luz felt her heart skip.

“Luz?” The unnerved tone in the young Blight’s voice yanked Luz from her thoughts.

“What? What’s wrong?” That was when she looked around the room. They were still in the Portrait Room, the four paintings in their stretched shapes, but there was only herself, King, and Amity. “Where did everybody go?”

There was a rush of air and the familiar shape of the Ghost Host shifted in place of Amity’s shadow, making the witchling spring back.

“ _As I said, there’s always MY way._ ” A ball of violet-flames smashed the floor where the Ghost Host’s chest was, but the shadows simply parted around the burnt wood.

“Shut up! What did you do with our friends?” Amity yelled, lifting her hand to conjure another spell.

Panicking, Luz grabbed her wrist, forcing her to lower her arm. “Amity! Stop! That’s not going to help us!” She swallowed as those burning amber eyes snapped to her.

“Oh, but this thing will? Luz, it tricked us! It tricked you into agreeing to some impossible task to trap us in this mansion! No one knows where we are and we have no way of letting anyone know what’s happened! We’re stuck here because -”

“Because of me?”

Amity’s felt her anger fizzle out as she watched Luz drop her head, the human’s eyes morosely staring at the floor. “I-that’s-that’s not what I was going to say.”

“But you were thinking it, and you're right. Our whole group is split up and there’s now way to know where they are.”

“ _Actually,_ ” the Ghost Host appeared in her shadow. “ _The silver-haired Bard and the young Illusionist are currently on their way towards our residential Oracle as we speak._ ”

Amity, Luz, and King all gaped down at the shadow.

“You know where everyone is?”

The Ghost Host huffed at King. “ _I’d be a poor caretaker if I could not keep an eye on my guests. Your companions are all safe, or rather, as safe as they can be at the present. I truly am sorry for separating you all as I did, but in order to break the curse properly, I had to pair you off. Speaking of which,_ ” the Ghost Host cocked its head as if listening to something and chuckled. “ _Your three-eyed witch and the spectacled girl are close to uncovering the first detail of the curse. We mustn’t stall our own search now,_ ”

There was the creaking of hinges and a section of the wall opened behind Luz and Amity, releasing the smell of stale air and dust.

“ _Shall we?_ ”

“Weh!” King ducked his nose behind Luz’s shoulder.

“Um, how do we know what part of the curse to look for?” Luz tapped her fingers together, feeling weird her shadow was no longer following her movements. “You kinda chucked us into this without really telling us what to do.”

“ _Did I now?_ ” Holding up a hand, the shadow leaned over to the desk and, to the trio’s amazement, lifted the candelabra so it hovered before them, tiny flames popping to life on the wicks. “ _Each pair of your friends I sent off to uncover a portion of the curse that I knew would play to their strengths. I cannot reveal to you what the others are to find just yet, but for the three of you,_ _I will tell you the true history of this mansion and what led to the birth of its curse. A story of a love, so pure and innocent, torn apart by fear, anger, and betrayal . And the best place to start would be at the beginning._ ”

The candelabra floated between the girls and towards the open door, pausing to rotate as if to look back at them.

Luz glanced at Amity, trying to swallow with a very dry throat. “Where is that?”

“ _Patience, dear human. Now, please follow me and stay close. The happy haunts have detected life in these halls, and they’re dying to meet you._ ” The Ghost Host’s laughter spurned Luz and Amity to rush out of the room after the floating candles. Behind them, the door to the Portrait Room slammed shut, leaving only the glow of the candelabra as their source of light as they slowly walked down a hallway that seemed to stretch on forever, too afraid to look over their shoulders at the curious spirits behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! This will be more of a “post when ready” fic, but my goal is to have it complete by Halloween. We’ll see if that happens!
> 
> The Ghost Host is a bit on the OC side, my personal interpretation with a Boiling Isles flair. Hope you all enjoyed it, and see you in the next chapter!
> 
> And yes, I’ve got a thing for rhyming poetics.


	3. Don’t Feed the Plant

Boscha screamed as the darkness swallowed her up, hurling her through the air for what felt like an eternity, her hands flailing about for anything to hold. The Ghost Host’s laughter whirled around her like a gust of wind that pulled her deeper into the abyss until finally, she belly flopped to the floor. After bouncing a couple times and sliding to a halt, Boscha slowly peeled her cheek off the worn rug that stopped her fall. She had just enough time to see a long hallway stretching out before someone else landed on top of her and she was back to studying the gaudy pattern on the rug.

“Ow,” groaned the loser who had used her for a crash mat.

Boscha snarled. “Would you get off of me Skar-” she froze, halfway spun around. “Oh, it’s you.”

Wincing as she rubbed her tender head, Willow frowned back at her. “Nice to see you too, Boscha. Where are we?” She got to her feet, looking around. “Where is everyone?”

“Ugh, what are you talking about Half-a-Witch?” Getting to her feet and dusting herself off, Boscha looked up to the fireplace to tell that idiot Ghost Host just how hokey it was, but froze when she found herself staring at the portrait of the family Round-Ears had freaked out over. Wait, but that painting was in the entrance of the mansion. Did that mean…? Boscha turned in a complete circle.

They had been dumped into the middle of the mansion foyer, with what Boscha recognized as the main hall laid out in front and behind, she smiled, the front doors. The same demonic suits of armor stood at attention, but, when she turned to head to the doors, rusted metal scraped together and the two statues stepped down from their posts, halberds lifted.

“Boscha!” Hissed Willow. “Get away from the doors!”

“Not when we’ve got the chance to leave!” Boscha yelled, bolting for the doors and pulling on the handle. The door did not budge. “What the?” Grunting, Bosch tried to pull the handle down, ramming her shoulder against the wood, but she may as well have been trying to hit a stone wall. Biting her lip against the throbbing pain in her shoulder, Boscha rammed the door again just as a shadow loomed over her, and she turned. “Oh Titan.”

Both suits of armor stood over her, their halberds raised high over their heads. There was a sudden rumble and a thick vine speared through the chest plate of one, lifting the entire suit off the ground and flinging it away. Taking advantage of the surprise, Boscha drew a spell circle around her ankle and leapt at the other armor, kicking it in the faceplace and igniting the helmet in fire, sending it flying across the room. Landing in a crouch, she sprang from the floor and raced past Willow into the hall. “Run!”

The two witches tore down the hallway as fast as they could, neither looking back to see if they were being followed. Eventually, Boscha slid to a stop and Willow did the same, both fighting to catch their breath.

“What the heck was that?” Boscha gasped.

Willow looked in the direction they had come from, the foyer nothing more than a pinprick to them. “I don’t know, but I’m guessing it means we can’t leave the mansion. Remember what the Ghost Host told us? If we want to get out, we’ll have to break the curse. It must have split us up in pairs to solve the riddle.”

“But why did I have to get stuck with you?”

“Hey,” Willow glared at the grugby captain. “I’m not happy about it either, but we really don’t have much of a choice now, do we?”

Crossing her arms, Boscha turned her head so she didn’t have to look at her. Half-a-Witch had a point, but that didn’t mean she was about to agree with her. This was the human’s fault. Why did she have to agree to freeing a bunch of souls cursed to stay in this mansion, when they could have just simply stayed outside or ignored that weirdo Ghost Host? The next time she saw that round-eared dweeb, she was going to use her head as the next game’s grugby ball. Without Amity protecting her.

“Boscha,”

Pulling her lip back in a snarl so her fangs showed, Boscha met Willow’s gaze. “Yeah, fine, whatever, let’s figure out this stupid curse so we can get out of here.”

“Thank you,” Willow looked around the hallway. “Now, we just need to figure out where to start. How did the first part go again?”

“How should I know? I’m not on the Oracle track. I don’t even think that was a real riddle, just some stupid poem that ghost came up with to mess with us.”

Willow ignored Boscha’s ramblings, recalling the Ghost Host’s words. Oddly enough, only one part of the riddle stuck in her head. _The smiling Jack - Under a moonlit sheen - Look for the felled - In somewhere that’s green_.

“Somewhere that’s green…wasn’t there a greenhouse attached to the side of the mansion when we were walking up to it?”

“Of course that’s the first place you’d think to look.”

Signing, Willow shook her head. “I’m serious Boscha, I think that’s where the Ghost Host wants us to start. Unless, you remember anything different than what they told us?”

Boscha raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Of course I remember what they told us! They said to look for...for…” her voice faltered as the words blurred in her memory, leaving only four lines to play in her mind as the rest warped together. “‘Look for the felled in somewhere that’s green’...” she clenched her fists and growled. “Well, how do we know it’s a greenhouse and not something else? Maybe some hallway or room that’s got green wallpaper?”

Willow shrugged. “I don’t know, but the greenhouse is probably our best place to start. Besides, the first words were ‘the smiling Jack’, and I think I know what that is.” She remembered Luz talking about them to her and Gus during lunch one day at school, when the weather had started to cool, about a human tradition of taking large orange gourds and carving faces into their flesh. She had used a name for them that was both strange and oddly fitting, after having shown a picture to them of one she had carved with her mother. Jack-o-lantern. If something as outlandish as a “pump-kin” did exist, it would be growing in the greenhouse.

“But,” Boscha frowned. “Why would something from the Human World be here?”

“I don’t know.” Looking down the two directions of the hallway, Willow began to walk the way they had been running, pausing only to summon a light spell. “But whatever it is, we’re going to need it if we want to get out of here and free all the souls trapped inside. Stay here if you want, I’m going ahead.” Willow had barely taken two steps before Boscha was at her side, a ball of flames hovering in her palm.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Leaf Girl.”

Ignoring the name jab, Willow walked on, her eyes scanning the hallway as the shadows slithered away from the light cast by their spells. Formal portraits lined the walls of many different witches and even a few demons, all poised in the same stiff-backed posture she had seen for the Pandor family. There was something eerie about the vast assortment of faces that stared at the witchlings as they walked by, an almost wistful gaze that followed them. Even Boscha kept glancing at the surrounding pictures, a hint of unease tugging at her eyes.

The walls and carpet all held the same deep violet shade, patterns of silver, white, and black swirling about in different shapes. It made Willow feel like she was walking over snowflakes drifting in the wind. Had it not been from years of neglect and time, she would have found the designs to be pretty. Instead, a thick blanket of dust had settled over the material, sending up clouds any time she or Boscha moved too quickly. At one point, a huge dust cloud poofed up in their faces. Instantly, Boscha’s nose wrinkled.

“Boscha…” Willow said slowly. “Don’t…”

“I-I-I’m,” She pinched her nose, her body clenched for a moment, and then relaxed. “I’m good.” She took one step and let out an explosive sneeze, sending even more dust up into the air. Coughing, Willow waved her hand in the air in an attempt to clear away the dust, placing her other hand on the wall for support.

Cold seeped from the wall against her fingers, making Willow jerk back from beneath the portait she stood by. Whoever the picture was of she could not tell, the face had been slashed apart. Silver-white light bled from beneath the frame and swirled together, forming into a shimmering orb of spectral light. When the last of the light left the frame, the orb flitted up and around the witchlings, a soft trilling noise following it as it moved.

“Ah, a little friend,” Smiling, Willow held her hand out to the orb. 

Boscha snorted. “Wow, you really are dumb if you think some ghost ball is going to float up to you.” Her face instantly fell when the orb darted to sift through Willow’s fingers, making her giggle.

“It’s okay, we’re not here to cause trouble.”

“Right, we have a human for that.”

Willow shot a glare over her shoulder at Boscha and turned back to the orb. “Are you one of the happy haunts the Ghost Host said would help us?”

The ball of spectral light bobbed up and down.

“I think it knows the Ghost Host,” Willow whispered to Boscha eagerly. “Maybe it can help us?”

All three of Boscha’s eyes slowly blinked and she rapped a knuckle against Willow’s forehead, making her wince. “Are you trying to be funny? Or has all that plant magic turned your brain to mulch? We’re not asking some random ghost ball for help! We’re already in deep enough, thanks to your dumb human promising that psychotic ghost-demon we’d break the curse!”

Willow swatted Boscha’s hand away and rubbed her head. “At least I’m not some snobby jock who cares more about her social status than helping others!”

“But at least I dont get kicked out of birthday parties because I can’t do magic!”

There was a rush of air as the orb darted between them and around their heads, whispering urgently, then back into the middle of the hall.

Clenching her fists, Willow turned away and walked towards the orb. It bobbed up and down at her and bumped against her arm, whispering when she ran a hand over its translucent surface, tickling her palm and making her smile. “We’re supposed to find somewhere that’s green. Do you think you could show us where to go?”

Trilling, the orb wove around Willow’s shoulders and floated down the hallway, only pausing briefly to make sure the girl’s were following.

Boscha held back so Willow stayed ahead, not wanting to look at her after what they had just said to each other. It wasn’t like what she said was true. Willow had been kicked out of Amity’s birthday party, she remembered watching her leave, head bent in an effort to hide her tears from the shame. Of course she knew why Amity did it, everyone there that day did. It was because what she had told her was true; Willow couldn’t perform even the most basic of skills back then, so why bother wasting time with some weakling when time could be spent with those who had power?

So, if what she had said was true, why did she feel like she took a burning grugby ball to the gut? Ever since that day Luz had challenged her to a game on behalf of Willow, even though Boscha had won by finding the Rusty Smidge, something had felt off. Whatever Boscha and her girls did, whether it was a normal routine or spur of the moment, felt different. No, it felt wrong. Wrong, because no matter how right Boscha felt, the sting meant for the target hit her too. And that made her angry.

Stupid human, coming here and changing everything! She was the reason why Willow was no longer the school doormat for Boscha to wipe her feet on, why more and more students were taking multiple tracks at once, and why Amity had completely cut ties with her group. In fact, Boscha narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, ever since Grom, Amity had done more than gone soft around Willow and her human pet. Any time she and that round-eared freak were in the same space, Amity would completely lose her mind. What was with her tripping over her words? Why did she go all red in the face? All for some human?

Frowning, Boscha stared at the carpet as she mulled over her thoughts, not realizing she had walked by Willow, and slammed face-first into thick glass. “Ow!” Her third eye throbbed from the impact and she slapped her hand over it, hissing, her two main eyes squinting.

Willow covered her mouth to keep from laughing when Boscha glared back at her. “I did try to warn you, but you ignored me.”

“Try a little harder next time.” Blinking to clear her vision, Boscha stared at the frosted glass window in front of her and what lay beyond. The remains of a door lay scattered along the ground, either broken by someone trying to get in or from the years of abandonment. What looked like thick ropes hung from the ceiling and along the walls, spilling over each other across the floor. An overpowering scent of damp air and dirt rolled out from the broken glass, crawling up Boscha and Willow’s noses. Between them, the ghost orb shivered.

Taking a breath, Willow stepped through the frame and sent her light spell ahead to hover in the center of the greenhouse. Her spell illuminated not ropes on the floor, but massive vines. Thick and green, they blanketed the once smooth tiled floor, the tiles now broken apart to reveal the damp earth beneath. A flash of lightning from the storm outside filled the entirety of the space in a bright white, showing more vines spilling out from beneath something just beneath Willow’s light spell. Something big, round, and orange.

Glass crunched behind her and Boscha walked to her side, staring at the odd-looking thing from which the vines seemed to be growing. “What the heck is that?”

“I think,” Willow carefully stepped over the sentient vines. “That’s our Jack.”

It was not smiling or under a moonlit sheen, but it did match how Luz had described: a large, round gourd that easily rose to Willow’s shoulders, ridges running all alongs it's lumpy surface, a rope-like stem sprouting from the top to curl down to the floor. When Willow placed a hand to its surface, she felt tiny bumps running all over the hollow flesh. It sat upon a nest of vines clustered together so tightly, it looked almost like a throne. The two witchlings paced around the pumpkin to study it, trying to see just what made the strange orange object so important.

“Look for the felled in somewhere that’s green,” Crouching down beside the vines, Willow pushed at them with a finger. “What would have fallen here?”

Boscha frowned at the mass of vines, taking a step back. “You’re the plant expert, you tell - me!” Her heel caught on something and she lurched back to land on the vines. What was with her playing the part of the clutz this night? Grunting, Boscha pushed herself up to glare at the vine she had tripped over, just as another flash of lightning filled the room, and glinted off something metal. “Hey, Leaf Girl,”

Willow looked up from the pumpkin with a glare, but when she looked to what Boscha was pointing at, her eyes widened. Imbedded into the ground, handle paralleled to the floor and wrapped in a thin vine, was a hatchet. The blade was sunk halfway through the floor, gleaming silver in the magic-cast light. Boscha scrambled to her feet and stood over the handle.

“Look for the felled, in somewhere that’s green.”

While the floor was swarmed by the vines, the space around the hatchet was surprisingly clear, save for the one wrapped around the wooden handle. The floor around the sunken blade was stained by a blackened shape, but even with the light spell, it was hard to make out what. Boscha shared a curious look with Willow and wrapped her hands around the smooth wood. The ghost orb, which had remained at the door to the greenhouse, winked out for a moment before reforming, and Boscha briefly released her grip. Green flames rippled along the blade in the ground and up along the handle. She then steeled herself and, hissing from the effort, ripped the hatchet from the floor. The flames dispersed into the floor along the darkened smudge, and everything went still.

Willow looked around the room for anything that moved, but aside from the ghost orb at the door, the greenhouse stayed silent. Hefting the hatchet over her shoulder, Boscha slowly spun in a circle.

“Nothing happened..”

Frowning, Willow looked at the spot where the hatchet had been, studying the dark smudge. Just off to the side was the clump on which the pumpkin sat, curiously close to whatever had fallen. Almost as if they were covering something.

“Boscha, do you see anything under those vines?”

Boscha knelt down to peer beneath the vine nest, summoning a fire spell. In the flickering light, her eyes began to widen and she slowly reached through the vines. “It looks like a...book?”

The vines snapped around her wrist and she screamed, the hatchet falling from her hand as she tried to pry herself free. A deep moan filled the room as the pumpkin shuddered and creaked, the orange hide bubbling, and it began to expand. Two bright yellow slits appeared on one side and sliced open in triangles, another line zig-zagging to create a gaping mouth that let out a gurgling roar. Flames spewed from between the jagged teeth as the pumpkin rose up on legs of tightly-woven vines, easily now three times its original size.

“I hate this place!” Boscha screamed, her arms pinned to the monster-gourd’s side. The giant stared down Willow and belched flames at her, barely giving her the chance to dodge out of the way.

Rolling on her side, Willow drew a spell and slapped the ground, sending her magic deep into the earth. Within seconds, the floor beside the pumpkin erupted as a large four-petaled pink plant with wide eyes and a gaping maw shot out, slamming into the monster. Boscha yelped as the pumpkin was thrown back, her fingers scrabbling over the vines holding her in an iron grip. Clutched in her hand was a small, leather bound book, completely covered by the thick vines that refused to burn away when she summoned a fire spell. When she tried to change her nails into claws to cut the vines, Willow’s plant-creature rammed the pumpkin’s hide with its teeth, breaking her concentration.

“Will you forget the plant-slicing thing?!”

The room jolted around her and she screamed as the pumpkin came crashing down on the floor, the petals of Willow’s plant closing over its face. Smoke began to pour from beneath the petals and the creature lunged back with a shriek. It was at that moment Boscha caught sight of the discarded hatchet only a few inches from where she lay. Feeling the pumpkin lurch up, she made a desperate grab for the handle, the tips of her fingers brushing smooth wood.

Willow stumbled back and dropped to the floor as her plant was chucked over her head, hitting the ground with an earth-shattering crash and vanishing in a burst of magic. Gasping, she stared up at the pumpkin and the flames spilling from its grinning mouth. Suddenly, the gourd jolted back with a scream and Willow heard the sound of metal hitting something flesh. Roaring, the pumpkin stumbled forward and belched its fiery breath at the witch, but a shape darted in front of her and redirected the flames with a spell circle.

“Hey, Jack!” Boscha yelled, lifting the hatchet over her head. “Smile!” She hurled the weapon with all her might and the blade sailed through the air, slicing through the vine connecting the pumpkin’s stem to the ground.

The creature froze, the fire in its eyes instantly going out, and it crashed to the ground, erupting in a mass of orange goo and seeds. Willow and Boscha hit the dirt,

barely managing to avoid the wave of pumpkin guts. For a moment, neither of them wanted to get up, preferring to lay on the floor as they panted for air, cold sweat beading across their faces. A couple patches of vines burned with flames from the fight, their light quickly dying out.

Silverly-white light spilled over the witchlings as the ghost orb drifted over them and let out a soft trill. Groaning, Willow sat up and let the orb sit in her hand. Turning around, she stared at Boscha who was slowly getting to her feet. “Boshca, you saved us.”

Flicking a seed off of her shoulder, Boscha unwound her hair from her bun to redo it. “Don’t act so surprised, Leaf Girl. I had to save my butt too, all for this.” She slid her toe under the journal and kicked it up in the air to catch. “Whatever this is, that gourd did not want us to have it.”

Willow got to her feet and took the journal from her hand. Opening the cover, she frowned at the strange language written in a surprisingly careful hand. It was not any language she was familiar with from the Boiling Isles, only the dates she understood, along with what no doubt was the family name; Pandor. That and one name written on the first page: Chiaro.

“Weird,” Closing the journal, Willow looked from the ghost orb to Boscha. “We should probably get out of here, head back to the entrance of the mansion. I’m guessing everyone else will be there.”

“Fine by me,” Reaching down, Boscha hefted the hatchet from the floor to her shoulder, shrugging when Willow stared at her. “What? You got a better idea what to do with a silvered weapon?”

Willow sighed and shook her head, turning to the ghost orb. “Hey little friend, would you want to stick with us? I’m sure our friends will be happy to meet you.”

The ghost orb bobbed up and down excitedly and she giggled. With that, the two witchlings hurried out of the greenhouse and back into the hallway towards the main entrance of the mansion. Neither of them noticed the black smudge on the floor that had been pinned by the hatchet was gone, a single rust-colored smear where the blade had pierced the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I kinda picked on Boscha in this chapter.


	4. I Ain’t Got No Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have not see Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein, stop right now and go watch it! You’ll find out why soon...

The last thing Gus expected to do that day was be ejected from a fireplace. In fact, it wasn’t even close to being on his list of planned activities, yet somehow, here he was, being spat out in a cloud of ash and splinters. So much for crossing off owning a human bucket as the next thing from that list. At least he had the desk to break his fall. Even if it was solid oak.

“Ow!” He felt the heavy object barely move when his shoulder blades connected with the corner, knocking every ounce of air from his lungs. Wheezing, Gus peeled his eyes open to look at where he had been launched from. A blur of red was his warning. “What the?”

Skara crashed into his stomach and the small bit of precious air he managed to take in was gone. This was going to be a very long night.

Groaning, Skara rolled off his flattened legs, her eyes shut tight from the pain. “Boscha, remind me to never agree to do something like this with Luz again.”

“I’ll let her know when I see her.”

At that, Skara’s eyes popped open and she stared at Gus, recognition dawning in her features that her trusted leader was no longer with her. “Agustus? Why are you here?”

Gus slowly pulled his legs to his chest and, using the desk for support, stood. “Not sure. If I were to guess, our Ghost Host friend paired us off to solve the riddle.” He had to swallow his disappointment at not being paired with Willow, much like he could guess Skara would have vastly preferred Boscha. Pity the poor witch, or human, who was stuck with her. Rubbing the stiffness from his neck, Gus looked around the room they were in.

Oddly enough, it looked a lot like where they had been just moments ago, except for the fact most of their friends and the Ghost Host were absent. The room was large, more rounded in shape than the previous, and full of books. Tall shelves stuffed full of many different volumes lined the walls, a library ladder set into each one for scaling assistance. A wide paned window looked out onto the large landscape beyond, still currently being ravaged by the boiling rain, only now Gus could see patches of lights in various colors bobbing about, ranging from silver-white to blue to green. Behind him and Skara was a huge open fireplace and above it, a portrait of a lean-bodied black dog with tall ears, a snowy owl, and between them, a white and black fox.

“Why send us here?” Skara asked, getting up.

Walking around so he faced the desk as if he were sitting at it, Gus looked at the many books and papers strewn across the surface. Though most of the surface was covered in years of dust and cobwebs, he noticed one book sitting next to a worn head bust was clean. Leaning over to read the title, Gus reached for the book and summoned a light spell in his hand.

**Friends on the Other Side and You: the Art of Demonic Summoning**

There were other strange titles scattered about and all of them on demon summoning, with a tome of necromancy tucked in as well. Gus frowned. Why would there be so many books on the forbidden magics left just out in the open for others to see?

The use of summoning a demon had become a mut point hundreds of years ago, back when the Isles were first discovered. Gus remembered from his history class one speculation as to why there were so many demons living among the witches was from the earliest attempt to summon Greater Demons as a form of worship. But, that was way back at the start of the Savage Ages. Why have it now? And, what was with the necromancy book?

If there was one magic frowned upon by all the others, it was reanimating and controlling the dead. Even before Belos rose to power, necromancy had been outlawed as a disgrace to the natural order and the use of magic. Cautiously, Gus nudged the book out from the mess of cobwebs to see it was a copy of the Book of the Dead. Swallowing, he backed away from the desk as if it were a dozing Slither Beast.

A soft tune drifted through the air, making his ears twitch and he turned around to where Skara was currently studying the bookshelves. 

“Skara?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, pressing an ear to the shelf. “I hear it too.”

The tune was faint, too much for Gus to tell what was creating it, but Skara’s face was furrowed in concentration. “Whatever is making this music, it’s coming from behind one of these bookcases.”

Behind the bookcase? A thought struck Gus and he dashed to a nearby case, quickly grabbing a random book from the shelf, and leapt back. Nothing happened. Frowning, he returned the book to its spot and tried another one, his frown deepening when he got the same result. He pressed his ear to the wall, listening intently for the strange music. Behind him, Skara watched as he grabbed yet another book and lunged away, both her eyebrows raising quizzically.

“Augusts, what are you doing?” She stepped back when he darted to the shelf she was at.

“Luz told me about houses from the human realm that hid secret tunnels behind the walls!” He scanned the vast array of books for anything that stood out of place.

“She said there is usually some sort of key or device that opens the entrance. So where would it be?”

Scanning the titles of another shelf, Skara noticed some seemed to stand out, brighter covers against the more dark-monotonous ones. If only she could get a clearer view…”Hey, Augustus?”

“Call me Gus,”

“Gus,” she pointed to a burning sconce nearby. “Hand me that torch, would you?”

Obligingly, Gus walked over and lifted the torch from its ring. There was an audible click and the shelf Skara was standing before flipped around, violently pivoting on the floor and taking the wide-eyed Bard girl with it. Gus froze, his arms halfway raised, hands gripping the iron torch. There was a very awkward pause as he tried to process just what happened.

“Put the torch back!” Skara’s voice cried from behind the wall.

Gus quickly slipped the torch back on its ring for the bookcase to spin around, giving him a blurred glimpse of Skara’s shocked face, and disappeared back around. There was another pause.

“Okay!” Gus heard her yell confidently. “I think I know what to do! You take out the torch and I’ll block the bookcase with a strength spell!”

A stretch, but Gus was willing to test that theory. He grasped the heavy iron torch and lifted it from its ring, bracing himself as the shelf whipped around. There was a flash of light as Skara started to draw a spell circle, then a very loud crunch. Gus held his breath for a moment when he did not see Skara move. Just as he was about to walk over, he heard her voice waver out from between the wall and the shelf.

“Now listen to me very carefully,”

If he was to guess, it had been her body that blocked the bookcase, not a spell.

“Don’t put the torch back. With all of your might, shove against the other side of the bookcase. Is that perfectly clear?”

Gus looked at the slanted exposed half of the wooden shelving. “I think so,” Carefully setting the torch in the pail used for storing ashes, Gus took a deep breath and charged at the shelf, his shoulder ramming into the flat back. Instantly, he was thrown into darkness, only the feel of the wood against his hand to tell him where the exit was. From the opposite side, he heard Skara gasping.

“Thank you Gus. Gus?”

“ _Put_ ,” he yelled over his shoulder. “ _The torch back!_ ”

There was a loud click and he felt the bookcase start to move, then another click followed and it stopped, halfway open to show the room he had just been in. Before him, a dark hallway of stone led towards a staircase that spiraled up out of sight. Skara stood close to the bookshelf, a different torch in hand. Seeing the case had stopped, she stepped into the area and paused at Gus’ side. Listening to the music that carried down from the stairs, the witchlings nodded to each other and carefully inched their way up the steps.

There was the sound of gears creaking behind them and the bookcase slid back into place.

“Looks like we’ve got one way to go now,” muttered Skara.

Summoning a light spell in his hand, Gus followed her up the narrow stone steps that evened out onto a small platform that dead-ended. Looking around, he noticed one section of the wall did not match the rest and ran a hand over its surface. He was surprised to feel not wood or stone, but a soft material, just like the canvas of a painting. When he gave it a light push, the entire wall gave way to reveal the start of a hallway.

“Nice find there, Gus,” Skara quickly snuffed the torch and set it down, stepping out of the secret door. “Wow, these people really liked paintings.”

Gus stepped into the hall and looked around. Paintings filled every available inch of the walls on either side, depicting not just different witches and demons, but also dramatic landscapes of the Boiling Isles, cities, and even a couple ships daring to sail the Boiling Sea. A flash of lightning lit up the hallway and for a split second, the portraits took on a haunted, skeletal appearance, leering at Skara and Gus with fang-filled grins.

“Whelp, I’m out of here!” Skara spun on her heel and started down the hall, then stopped. “Um, Gus? Exactly what part of the riddle are we supposed to solve?”

Scratching his head, Gus tried to think back to all they had heard, but only one part of the Ghost’s Host’s voice echoed through his mind. _The music it plays for the dead ones delight, the tunes do entrance in the Oracle’s sight_.

“So,” Gus stared down the hall where the melody came from. “Following that music will most likely lead us to...whatever we need to find? Or at least it could be a good start?” He looked at Skara. “You’re the Bard student, can you make out anything?”

Skara crossed her arms and frowned. “Just because I’m studying Bard magic doesn’t automatically mean I know everything about music!”

“Oh, so then, what are you studying?”

Her shoulders went to her ears and she looked away. “Rhyming poetics and instrumental magics.”

“So, music?”

“Okay, fine, music!”

Gus bit his lip to hide a chuckle and they continued to follow the music, doing their best to not stare at the eerie portraits watching them. At one point, they passed two stone busts set into an alcove and Gus could have sworn their heads turned to follow them. The hallway soon turned to the left, and then to the right, winding about the floor in a labrynthian manner that had Gus wondering just how the heck they would find their way back out.

“It sounds like a band of some kind,” mused Skara, her ears twitching to analyze the music. “Definitely a drum, a trumpet, that’s a violin, a harp, and...a tambourine?” She shook her head. “That melody sounds a lot like something only mediums would play. But, I thought the Ghost Host said everyone here was dead?”

“Maybe someone moved in?” Gus said with a shrug.

Skara deadpanned. “Yeah, a marching band would move into an abandoned mansion in the middle of the woods haunted by its dead residents. Makes perfect sense.”

The style and colors of the hallways soon altered, switching from the foreboding dark-red wallpaper and clustered portraits to a bleak wood with odd little nooks set into the separating panels. Lights of green, blue, and red hung from the ceiling, diffused by strips of cloth draped about. Hearing the music grow louder, Gus and Skara turned another corner, and stopped. At the end of the hall was a tall door propped open to reveal what appeared to be a large room with a table on which a large glowing crystal ball sat. From that table came a deep, feminine voice.

“Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat... Call in the spirits, wherever they're at. Rap on a table, it's time to respond... Send us a message from somewhere beyond. Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween... Awaken the spirits with your tambourine!”

Instruments swirled around the ceiling of the room, playing the haunting melody that Gus knew was what they had been listening to. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded at Skara and they pushed open the door. The instruments stopped.

“Um, hello?” Skara glanced at the floating band and at the plush chairs seated around the circular table. “Is anyone here?”

Gus blinked at the chair set farthest away from them, a tall-backed throne with a strange array of cards splayed before it. “We heard you, but don’t see you. Where are you?” A flash of green caught his eyes and he looked down. A female witch stared up at him from the crystal ball, thick curly black hair framing her face engulfed in a brilliant green light.

“I am Madame Leota, seer of all, voice to the spirits. Whom do you seek?”

He yelped and sprang back, almost hitting Skara. “You-you’re a head?!”

Suddenly, their feet were shoved out from beneath them as a huge chair scooped the witchlings off the floor and pinned them to the table.

“Hey! Hey!” Skara pushed Gus’s cheek from her face while trying to shove away from the table. “What are you doing?! Let us out!”

“Silence!” Madame Leota commanded and fixed her gaze on the duo. “Whom do you seek?”

Skara’s elbow nailed Gus’s stomach and he grunted from the effort to scoot to the side so they both could fit on the wide seat. Shifting to be at least mildly comfortable, Gus leaned towards the crystal ball. “Um, we’re not really seeking anyone. We were sent by the Ghost Host to break the curse that’s keeping the souls from moving on.” He studied the witch for a moment, glancing at the instruments hovering over them. “Are you...the oracle from the riddle? Can you help us?”

A huff came from the crystal ball and Madame Leota raised a dark eyebrow. “Of course that shadowy demon would send you to me. What exactly were you told about this ‘riddle’?”

Pulling her arm from behind Gus’ back where it had been pinned, Skara recounted the words the Ghost Host had spoken. Madame Leota listened, though her expression made it hard to tell just how intently she cared. When Skara finished, the witch laughed, the sound echoing along with the instruments rattling about.

“So, the caretaker of the happy haunts thinks they have found the ones needed to free our tortured lovers?” Her chuckle deepend, sending shivers down Gus’ spine. “This will be interesting. Fine then, here is what I have to say. First, to break the spell, you must look within,”

“We don’t want to look within,” Skara hissed. “We want to look without!”

Madame Leota closed her eyes, at first Gus thought to ignore what Skara had said, until she spoke again.

“Dark spirits from the grave, come forth. Lift us from the black and show us, show us the way back!”

There was a rush of air and shadows began to dance along the wall.

“Lift us, lift us up to the light! And lead us through this stormy night!”

Gus swallowed. “Hey, don't you make no dark spirits come out! We’ve had enough of those already!” Suddenly, their chair and the table floated from the floor, making the two witchlings yelp, their fingers digging into the arm rests. Madame Leota’s crystal ball levitated from its frame as the chair began to spin around the table like a crazy carousel, the instruments playing an energized version of the earlier tune. Yet through it all, the witch’s voice carried to them.

“Enter the tomb under the great dead oak, and travel down deep under the ground, and there you will find the familiar that must be found. Find the black crypt that bears no name or soon your fate shall be the same! Two hearts for two souls, love given new life, the willing shall dance by the end of the night!”

There was a very uncomfortable tugging in Gus’ stomach growing in urgency by the second from the intense spinning. “I’m getting very queasy here!”

“ _You_ are?!” Skara moaned.

Madame Leota cackled at her captured party and, suddenly, the spinning halted and the chair dropped to the floor, jarring Gus and Skara from their seat. Gasping, they stared up at the table from the floor, took one look at each other, and screamed, leaping to their feet and bolting out of the door. There was a rattling of brass and wood as the invisible band rocketed after them, each instrument playing its own solo tune.

Turning a corner, Gus pointed to the narrow gaps in the panels and darted between a set, his stomach scuffing the fraying wood. Skara wriggled her way between two other panels just as the marching band flew by in a blur and they shared a concerned look. Everything went quiet. Curiosity getting the better of him, Gus peeked out from his hiding place. A snare drum caught him full on in the face, knocking him on his back.

“Agustus!” Grabbing him by the shoulders, Skara pulled the stunned Illusionist to his feet and down the hall in an effort to put a safe distance between them and the band. Turning another corner, Skara shoved Gus behind and began to draw a large spell circle in the air, rose-red light trailing her finger to complete the magic. The instruments sailed around the corner and, with a yell, Skara threw the spell at the maniacal band. The moment they passed through the circle, the instruments froze in place and, shuddering, collapsed to the floor in a heap.

For a moment, Gus and Skara stood where they were, gasping for air. Cautiously, Gus scooted up to the pile of haunted instruments and nudged a trumpet with his toe.

“Well, that was a waste of time!” Growled Skara, pushing a few stray silver bangs from her face. “Instead of a clue to break the curse, we just get another lousy riddle on top of the one we already had! This is why no one likes Oracle magic! What the heck are we supposed to do with that?”

Gus was silent for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, muttering. “ _The music it plays for the dead one’s delight, the tunes do entrance in the Oracle's sight.”_ He frowned. “I don’t think it was a complete waste, but it was a painful one.” Rubbing his tender forehead, Gus turned to Skara. “The Ghost Host didn’t exactly say the clues would all be items, and, technically, we did get a clue.”

“Right, another dumb riddle!”

“But it’s still a clue! Enter the tomb under the great dead oak. Skara,” Gus pointed out the window they had stopped beside. It looked out on the wide expanse of land part of the manor estate and, just barely in the distance, was a domed building. Beside it was an ancient looking tree weathered by age and boiling rain.

The blood instantly drained from Skara’s face. “Oh no, no, you can’t be serious.”

“I don't think we have a choice right now,” Sighing, Gus stared at the dark shape, feeling his queasy stomach drop like a stone. “I think to break the curse, we have to go to the Pandor family crypt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I pulled a lot from both Young Frankenstein and the 2003 Haunted Mansion movie, but you can’t pass up the classic “Put the candle back” scene. You just can’t. Don’t worry about Luz, King, and Amity, there will be plenty of them, and the Ghost Host, in the next chapter, and some long-awaited Lumity fluff. Building the lore for the Pandor mansion took a bit longer than I intended, but it’s all ready to go now!
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	5. Love and Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who’s ready or some Luz and Amity? Titan knows I am...

Amity did not mind the Ghost Host’s eccentric manner of guiding them out of the Portrait room, or the fact it had separated her from her friends. So long as she stayed with Luz, she felt reassured things would be okay. Even if Luz did have a way of making plans literally blow up in her face. What she did not like was the outright curiosity Luz had for their shadowy guide, which was made even worse when said guide was just as curious of her.

“So when you push this icon here,” Luz rambled on, holding her strange light box to the wall on which the Ghost Host stood. “It takes a picture and instantly saves it. Like this!” She grabbed Amity’s arm without warning to yank her into an impromptu selfie.

The flash burned Amity’s eyes and she reeled back from Luz’s side, rubbing the spots from her vision and hoping her face was not nearly as red in the photo as it currently felt.

“ _ Fascinating, _ ” the Ghost Host's visage rippled with what she guessed to be excitement as it watched Luz tap at the screen. “ _ And, this ‘smart phone’ stores all manner of these photographs for you without the need of being framed to hang upon a wall for others to see? _ ” It tilted its head consideringly. “ _ Seems quite the waste if there is no place to display it for guests. _ ”

Luz laughed. “Oh, trust me! Back home in the human world, we’ve got plenty of ways to show off our pics without printing or hanging them! We still do that for the very important pictures, but mostly, we post ‘em on social media.” She glanced at Amity. “I guess it's like how you use Penstagram?”

“You could say that.” That reminded Amity she hadn’t checked her own account in a while, not like she had much interest in it after she had stopped hanging out with Boscha.

“ _ What is that glyph for? _ ”

Both girls looked at the button the Ghost Host’s finger was hovering at, and Luz grinned.

“How bout I just show you?” She turned her head to look at King perched in her hoodie. “Any special requests?”

The demon squealed excitedly and began to scroll down with a claw. “Ooh, ooh! This one! This one!”

Grinning, Luz mashed her thumb to the screen, and music pulsed from the phone.

_ Very superstitious, writings on the wall _

_ Very superstitious, ladders ‘bout to fall _

Luz and King bobbed to the music as they walked on, while Amity did her best to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the sight of the human literally dancing with her own shadow. 

_ Thirteen-months-old baby broke the lookin’ glass _

_ Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past _

Catchy tune, Amity had to admit, but they had a curse to break and this was not the way to do it. She opened her mouth to speak, only to yelp as she felt the Ghost Host tug her forward to join Luz and King, her arms instantly caught up in the human’s grasp.

“Luz!” She hissed. “Now’s not a good time!”

“Superstition ain’t the way,” Luz sang and spun them around, grinning. “Yeah, yeah,” Releasing one of Amity’s hands, she began to moon-walk down the hall, towing the pink-faced witch with her. That is, until she bumped into a suit of armor and tripped, falling backwards onto the floor.

Amity squeaked as she was yanked down by Luz and collapsed, but the impact did not hurt. In fact it was warm, and soft? Opening her eyes, which she had closed to brace for the fall, she was instantly met with Luz’s dopey grin.

“S-sorry bout that, Amity,” An embarrassed blush painted her cheeks. “Guess I didn’t see that coming.”

Her hoodie shuffled about and King dragged himself out from under her, collapsing with a sigh. “Next time, how bout you actually look where you dance?”

There was a chuckle that floated around them and King’s body was lifted from the floor as the Ghost Host picked him up by his shadow, making the demon squeal. It then turned and offered a hand to Luz’s shadow, helping her to her feet.

“ _I must say, human, you are indeed an entertaining one. My world could have learned a lesson or two from you._ _Would you mind assisting your green-haired friend?_ ”

Luz looked at Amity, sitting back on her heels, absolutely beet-red in the face. When Amity remembered how to move her eyes, she looked up at the concerned smile Luz was giving her, and the hand offered out to help her up.

“ _ And they say chivalry is dead, _ ” mused the Ghost Host as Amity let Luz pull her to standing, albeit on shaky legs.

Amity glared at the shadow and brushed at her shirt. “Thanks Luz, sorry about that.” She bent down to the floor to scoop up the still singing box. “Here’s your smart phone.”

“Oh, thanks! I guess I can turn off the music now,” Luz said sheepishly, tapping the pause button and tucking the phone in her pocket. “Back to the tour, I guess.” She looked at the Ghost Host and the candelabra floating in it’s “hand”. “So, what’s up with this whole curse thing? Was it the family that created it in the first place? Or was it here before them?”

Sighing, the Ghost Host gestured for the trio to follow and the candelabra continued down the dark hall. “ _ Before I answer that, let me first show you just who the Pandor family was and what made them the powerful witches they were. _ ” The candlelight stopped at a wide portrait to illuminate the same mother, father, and daughter Luz had seen back in the foyer.

Only in this painting, there was a large group of other witches surrounding them and, in the background, the dark silhouettes of a mass of demons sporting wide wings, horns, and pointed tails. Next to the daughter was a handsome male witch leaning on a fine cane of silver and black, and though his hand was closed over the top, Luz could just make out what looked like the head of a hound.

“ _ The Pandor family, _ ” The Ghost Host said smoothly, tilting the light for Luz and Amity to see better. “ _ Along with their staff, and of course, Emilia’s fiance, Damien Pluto. _ ”

Amity gaped at the Ghost Host. “Wait, Pluto? As in, the only witch family to master necromancy before it was outlawed?”

A surprised grunt came from the shadow. “‘ _ Outlawed’ you say? Glad someone finally came to their senses. _ ” The candles dipped in affirmation. “ _ Yes, that family. Alastor Pandor was quite proud of that merger, to bring together the art of necromancy and demon summoning. Clearly, you can see how well that worked out for them. _ ”

Luz blinked. “Demonic summoning? But, there are so many demons living here on the Boiling Isles. Why would anyone want to summon a demon?” She glanced at King and he shook his head.

“Things weren’t always that easy for demons, especially back then. Witches used summoning rituals to bring demons from other dimensions and bind their will to do their bidding. If a witch was able to summon a Greater Demon and control it, they could be unstoppable.” Puffing out his chest, King stood up in Luz’s hoodie, holding her head for support. “Luckily, I managed to escape that era and now have all the freedom I need to conquer the world!”

“Does that mean no more time for tummy rubs and cuddles?”

King blinked and sat back down, crossing his arms. “The King of Demons does not need tummy rubs and cuddles! I am a powerful being who demands respect!”

“So…” Luz grinned at him. “That’s no to the cuddles?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Rolling her eyes at the two goofballs, Amity went back to studying the witches in the painting surrounding the family. Standing just to the side of the Pandors where two individuals Amity guessed would have been brother and sister, both having the same dark olive skin and black hair, only the brother had a cowl pulled to cover most of his head, his light-blue eyes downcast. The sister’s sharp violet eyes stared out from the painting with a look that reminded Amity instantly of Eda, the same nonchalant attitude.

“Who are those two?”

A low hum came from the Ghost Host. “ _ The personal servant to the Pandor family and Emilia’s private tutor; Chiaro and Mezzanotte. Though they may look related, Chiaro was actually Mezzanotte’s adoptive brother, taken in when she found him one night in the woods. Alastor and Ophelia were against having him in their household, but, after he proved his dedication to work, they agreed to let him be part of their staff. _ ” There was a wistful tone in the shadow’s voice that piqued Luz’s interest and she stared at the painting, listening to the story.

“ _ Chiaro was not popular amongst the staff and disliked by the family, they saw him as just another pair of hands for hard labor. Even the demons summoned by Alastor, the ones bound to the household, saw him as nothing more than mildly interesting at the best of times, and a snack at the worst. _ ”

“Yowza, I know what that feels like.”

“ _ Well then, this part may not be as much of a surprise to you. Chiaro was not a witch, he was a human. _ ”

Luz, Amity, and King gaped at the portrait and at each other.

“Scary-shadow-ghost-host say what now?”

Amity looked at Luz and back to the Ghost Host. “But, how is that possible? How could another human have come to the Boiling Isles?”

“ _ You tell me, my dear, _ ” Drifting to the side of the painting, the Ghost Host set the candelabra on a side table and crossed its arms. “ _ A human stands next to you, crossed over from another world, just like how Chiaro stood beside Emilia. Her family held the power to summon demons from other dimensions. _ ”

It was easy to see where this was going, but the thought still sent chills down Amity’s spine. “They must have performed a summoning and did something wrong. But still, how could a human be taken and not a demon?”

“ _ No one know for sure, only that there was a magical interference that day and, lo and behold, Chiaro appeared. Follow me please, _ ” the Ghost Host led them around a corner and into a new section of the manor, the color contrast changing from the deep violet to a softer lavender-colored tone, but with the same swirling patterns of white, silver, and black. Only two doors sat in this hall, one just off to the side and the other at the end. The door at the end of the hall clicked and slowly opened, creaking loudly as its hinges protested from the years of remaining shut.

Following their cue, Luz and Amity stepped through the doorway and into a grandiose bedroom. At the far end of the room were two glass doors that led out to an iron-wrought balcony, now overtaken by vegetation and warped from the boiling rain. A large four poster bed sat in the main center of the room, the same lavender-silver coloring to match the rest of the decorations. Across from the balcony was a sleek carved vanity, the once-magnificent mirror now a shattered version of its former self, spiderweb cracks spread over the fine glass. A door stood open to reveal a massive walk-in closet, and another door near the entrance, facing what most likely was the room the second door in the hallway led to. Just off to the left of the bed was a desk and bookcase and leaning against the desk was a tall wooden rod.

Amity frowned at the rod and, slowly, walked to the desk to reach for it. Seeing the top carved in the shape of an interlock, her eyes widened. This was not a rod, it was a witch’s staff. But, she looked around, where was the palisman? Looking at the desk, Amity saw a thick book laid open to a page covered in half-written spells, all of which were crossed off in an angry hand, cobwebs stretched over it.

Running across the room, Luz opened the door next to the closet and poked her head through the frame. “Wow! There’s a whole other bedroom in here!” She gasped reverently and there was the sound of wood being shuffled about. “Amity! Check out this palisman!”

Looking over her shoulder, Amity’s eyebrows raised at the staff Luz was clutching excitedly. The palisman in question was a black cobra, its body wrapped tightly around the interlock with its tail spiraling down to the middle of the staff. Across each of its closed eyes trailed a white stripe, its mouth shut tight.

“This thing is so cool!”

Amity winced as Luz gave it a few twirls in her hands before she tapped its end to the floor and looked to where the Ghost Host stood. “What is this place?”

“ _ This is the room of Emilia Pandor. _ ” The candelabra drifted in and came to rest on the vanity. “ _ Heiress to the Pandor family, fiance of Damien Pluto, bringer of the curse, and lover to a human. _ ”

Very slowly, Amity pulled away from the vacant staff and Luz looked uneasily at the completed one in her hands, the last of the Ghost Host’s words driving an ice spike into their stomachs. “What...was that?”

“Emilia...created the curse?” Luz’s voice sounded hollow. Amity was not sure if she was disappointed or relieved she did not appear to be reacting to the last part of the statement.

A long, low growl slipped from the Ghost Host and it crawled over the once-fine carpet to lean a shoulder against the shadow of one of the posts of the bed. There was a strange melancholy droop to its frame as Amity watched it slowly turn its head like it was taking the room in. “ _ The three of you may want to get comfortable, this will take some explaining. _ ” It lifted a hand and snapped its fingers. A two-seater sofa rose out of the carpet in a swirl of green light and Luz all but darted to it, eagerly sitting down. Looking at Amity, she patted the neighboring cushion and the witch felt her face heat up before walking over to sit down.

“ _ The staff you hold belonged to Mezzanotte, Emilia’s private tutor, the palisman’s name is Rex. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do much with him, after the family died and lost their magic, their palismans stopped responding. The staff your green-haired friend was studying was Emilia’s. Her’s is the only palisman that went missing after...the curse. None of the happy haunts, nor myself, have been able to find Artemis. _ ”

Luz leaned over to whisper to Amity, nearly sending her off the cushion when her warm breath brushed her ear. “Ten snails says that’s the name of the palisman.”

“ _ You guess right, human, _ ”

“She has a name, you know!” Amity interjected, startling the shadow and Luz.

The shadow rippled on the wall. “ _ Terribly sorry, I did not mean to offend. If it’s your name you wish me to call you, then I shall. Now, what are your names? _ ”

Scratching her head, Luz sheepishly grinned. “Um, Luz, Luz Noceda. This little cutie pie is King,” she patted the furry demon who had gravitated to her lap and was curled up in a ball. “And this is,”

“Amity Blight,” As she always did when speaking her full name, Amity lifted her chin and fixed a pointed look at the Ghost Host as if daring it to come up with some sort of retort. She knew the Blight family had been around the same time as the Pandors and the Plutos, let’s see just how it would react now that it knew who she was. It completely threw her when the shadow swooped away from its position to hover over them on the ceiling, silent as the ghost it was, then darted back down to reform on the carpet at their feet.

“ _ Luz. I do believe that translates to ‘light’ if I am not mistaken? _ ”

Both girls’ stared slack-jawed at the shadow. Luz opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, trying to find her voice.

“Um, yeah, how did you-?”

“ _ Accompanied by a member of the Blight family. My, my, my...I see Edric was able to make something of himself other than a brewer of abominations. That cheeky little trickster. _ ”

Amity couldn’t help but snort, knowing if her brother heard his namesake described as that, he would go ballistic. “You’re actually not that far off.” She lifted her finger and drew a spell circle, a wider copy tracing along the floor. “Abomination, rise!”

The gooey gollum hauled itself from the magic circle and moaned loudly, slumping over the sentient Ghost Host. Grinning, Amity slid the smaller circle down to her wrist. She could never ignore the opportunity to show off. Even if it was for a shadow.

“Abomination, come.”

Luz watched the abomination warily as it approached them, remembering the ill-fated witches duel when Amity had wanted to crush her into dust with a much larger version of the creature standing at its master’s side. They still gave her the heebie-jeebies, even though she was now learning how to create them. Sadly, all she had been able to succeed in was hitting every single student in the face with goo when her formula exploded out of the pot. It had taken two days to clean up that mess.

“Abomination, lift.”

The creature lifted the couch with ease, then set it back down upon Amity’s command. Seeing the gleam had not left her eye, Luz braced herself.

Taking a deep breath, Amity focused all her concentration on what she was about to say next. It was risky, so far she had only succeeded once, and even that did not last more than a few seconds before she had to command it deconstruct.

“Abomination, ignite!”

Groaning, the abomination tightened its body and roared as violet flames burst over its outstretched arms and chest. Amity clenched her teeth as she struggled to hold the combined magics, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her neck. She was actually doing it! She was holding the spell! This was -

“Amity! You’re amazing!”

Luz grabbed her in a tight hug, and Amity felt her concentration snap. With a gurgle, the burning flames were doused as the abomination imploded on itself and vanished into the floor. The Ghost Host leaned over the dark spot it had left and sighed.

“ _ Very impressive, Ms. Blight. Shall I continue with the story, or do you have other skills you wish to show off to your lady friend? _ ”

“Lady?” Choked out Amity.

“Friend?” Luz finished.

“ _ Too soon? _ ” The Ghost Host shrugged, though Amity did not miss the suppressed chuckle. “ _ Apologies if I drew the wrong conclusion. You two remind me of Emilia and Chiaro when they first met. _ ”

“Actually,” Luz shuffled in her seat. “When I first met Amity, she was going to let our principle dissect me. After that, she nearly squashed me with an abomination.”

All the blood in Amity’s face drained hearing Luz recount her earlier emotions. “But-but that was before I got to know you! Back then I thought you were an annoying human who treated being a witch like it was a joke and wanted to humiliate me.” When Luz turned to her with a toothy grin, she swallowed.

“Does that mean I’m not annoying anymore?”

“Oh no, you’re still annoying. But,” Amity gave her shoulder a playful shove. “That’s what I love about you.” Realizing what she was saying, Amity cleared her throat and looked down at the waiting shadow. “Please, continue.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” The Ghost Host nodded. “ _As I said earlier, Chiaro was a strange case to the Pandor family. Being a human from another world, he did not possess the same magical abilities as they did, but that did not leave him to be as vulnerable as they predicted. Being a hard worker, he was tasked with hauling wood from the surrounding forest to the mansion and chopping it into kindling. One day, he discovered Emilia attempting to construct what would one day become her witch staff. Curious of the magic he was now living with, Chiaro approached her and asked her to teach him.”_ There was a huff from the shadow and it crossed its arms. “ _At first, Emilia wanted nothing to do with a magicless human from another world, much less a servant of her household. But, as time went on, she saw the dedication Chiaro had for his work and to the ones that had taken him in. One day, she went to Mezzanotte and, not long after that, Chiaro was assigned to work as a personal butler to the family._ _From then on, Emilia and Chiaro spent more time together, and whenever she was attending her lessons, she always requested he be there. Time went by and, inevitably, they fell in love._ ”

Shuffling around Luz’s lap for comfort, King waved a paw. “Meh, just another sappy love story. Servant falls in love with rich person, they’re told they can’t be together so they run off, and live happily ever after. Boring!”

Luz glared at the demon. “King! That’s rude!”

“What? We’re all thinking it!”

Giving the demon a shove so he was on the couch cushion and not her lap, Luz rolled her eyes. “Sorry Ghost Host,”

“ _ No worries. I suppose I can skip ahead if His Majesty prefers? _ ”

Despite the blatant sarcasm in the shadow’s voice, King inclined his head in what Amity guessed he thought was a regal manner.

“ _ Well, as you may guess, Emilia’s mother and father had reservations about their only daughter wanting to be with a human servant over a member of a powerful witch family. Without hesitation, they cast Chiaro out of the manor. _ ”

Amity winced, her thoughts lingering on her own parents’ harsh reactions if they were to find out her feelings for Luz. It would not be too far off. At her side, Luz leaned forward.

“Is that why Emilia created the curse?”

The Ghost Host sighed. “ _ I did not say she created it, I said she brought it. _ ”

“Why?”

“ _Emilia begged her parents to spare Chiaro, to bring him back, but they refused. However, Chiaro found a way back inside, with help from Mezzanotte. That same night, Emilia and Damien were celebrating their engagement. Chiaro tried to get to Emilia, but the demon servants saw through his disguise and took him away. He never had the chance to speak to Emilia again._ _Two days later, the groundskeepers found him._ ”

The trio leaned forward in their seats and Luz swallowed.

“What...happened to him?”

The room was quiet, save for the light tapping of the boiling rain against the glass and metal verandah outside. In the shadows, the Ghost Host’s form rippled and wavered like flames and, for a fleeting moment, Amity saw gold and red eyes flash amidst the darkness. A deep growl rolled from where it stood, vibrating through their bones.

“ _ Emilia was distraught when she was given the news. While the family said it was a wild beast, Mezzanotte and Emilia knew no wild demon would be so  _ surgical  _ with its attack. Damien was the first to accuse Alastor and Ophelia for subjecting an innocent to the wrath of a demon, but it was too late. Emilia was inconsolable, her heart broken without Chiaro. Try as Damien might, neither he nor Mezzanotte could help her. Without hope, love, without her human, she hung herself. _ ”

A crack of thunder filled the room, but the silence that followed was so strong, Amity could have heard a pin drop. So, that was it. That was the reason why all the souls were trapped with no chance of crossing over. All because a witch and a human were told they could never be together. Because once again, the family chose to uphold their status and reputation for the sake of their child’s chance at happiness. Something touched her face and she jumped as Luz pulled her hand back.

“S-sorry Amity, I was just trying to - you’re crying.”

“What?” Brushing at her cheeks, Amity felt tears against her fingers and she looked at Luz. “I guess I am. You are too.” Without hesitation, she reached up to lightly run her thumb over the salty trail. She felt Luz freeze at the contact and lowered her hand, her own face heating up as she quickly looked away from the girl’s surprised reaction.

“So, if that’s the story, then what about the heart of stone?”

The Ghost Host tilted its head. “ _A token of love so strong it cuts stone, a heart crushed by sorrow now wandering alone._ ” The shadow hummed thoughtfully. “ _I would think two witches as clever as you would be able to figure that one out._ _What do you think it is?_ ”

Running her hand over her eyes, Luz met Amity’s gaze. “I...I don’t know if you do things differently here, but, back home, when two people were in love, they would get each other a ring. And one, usually for the girl, would have a diamond.” She looked at the Ghost Host. “Chiaro was going to propose to Emilia, wasn’t he?”

“Luz,” Amity touched her shoulder. “We have that here as well. What makes you think it’s an engagement ring?”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it? If Chiaro was a human from the human world, he’d want to do the most romantic human thing possible. Plus ‘so strong it cuts stone’, that has to mean his love and the cut of the diamond.”

Amity had to agree with that one, but they were still missing a few things. “So, if it’s a ring, where would we find it? And the heart crushed by sorrow wandering alone? Is that Emilia, or someone else?” She stared down at the Ghost Host, something stirring at the back of her mind. Whoever this shadow was, it knew an awful lot about the family, more so than a typical servant and was not afraid to hold back. But, who could it be? “Ghost Host, can I ask you something?” She watched it nod and took a breath, seeing Luz watching her curiously from the corner of her eye. “Before the curse, you lived here in the mansion as well, didn’t you?”

“ _ I served the Pandor family, yes. _ ”

“You’re Mezzanotte, aren’t you?”

The shadow went still. Amity stood and walked to stand at its side, not once looking away. “Are you Mezzanotte?”

The Ghost Host growled softly. “ _ No, I am not. I served the Pandor family, yes, I knew what happened between Emilia and Chiaro. But no, I am not Mezzanotte. I am the Ghost Host. I wish I could say more, but the curse holds power over all the souls here, including myself. Even I have limitations with what I can do. Besides, _ ” it gestured to the cobra palisman. “ _ If I was Mezzanotte, Rex would have recognised the magic bond shared. But he does not. However, _ ” the growl eased into a sound that Amity recognized as a purr and the Ghost Host slid over to Luz and tapped the staff. “ _ I knew Mezzanotte, and I believe she would want another Light to have the protection she could not give her little brother. Who knows? Perhaps Rex may recognise the power inside you? _ ”

Luz’s eyes popped out of her head and her jaw dropped open. “I-uh-wow-that’s so nice of-but, if Rex isn’t awake, how will I get him to work?”

“ _ Just like any palisman, give it time to know you. It’s at least better he be with someone of the living than gathering dust in a corner. _ ”

From somewhere down the hall came a muffled boom and in another direction, a cacophonous clatter of musical instruments.

“ _ Ah, I see the rest of your companions have completed their tasks. Shall we rejoin them? _ ”

Amity watched the Ghost Host drift back to the open door and the candelabra gently lifted off the vanity. Beside her, Luz jumped from the couch and jogged to the shadow, King clinging to her shoulders as she held tightly to Rex’s staff. Turning on her heel in a slow circle to survey the room again, Amity followed her human out of Emilia Panor’s room and shut the door, closing off the haunted history behind her. As they passed by a large grandfather clock, the clawed hands ticked ever so closer to the next hour and began to resonate with an ominous bong, announcing the hour 13.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have a confession to make: this story will not be done in time for Halloween. That was my original goal, then this thing took off and the story grew. A huge thank you to you all for your encouragement with this wacky idea.


	6. The Bewitching Hour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!

Though Luz was positive the Ghost Host was leading them in the same route they had taken to Emilia’s room, none of the turns they took or portraits they passed looked familiar. If anything, it felt like they were walking towards an entirely different part of the mansion. Yet somehow, when they turned the final corner, Luz was relieved to see the wall open to show the interior of the Portrait Room. Her hands gripped the smooth wood of Mezzanotte’s staff and she all but jogged into the room where a cozy fire burned beneath the cracked mirror. The four paintings were still elongated, and Luz wondered just who they had been before the curse was enacted. Were they actually witches? Or were they just some of the demons the Pandor family had summoned, but in different forms? Did demons even change form here?

“ _ Please, make yourselves comfortable. _ ” The Ghost Host’s candelabra hovered just outside of the door. “ _ Your companions will be here shortly. _ ”

“Thank you!” Luz did not need any more invitation and plopped down in front of the fireplace, leaning back to rest on the worn rug. King jumped out of her hoodie and scurried up onto the sofa, kneading the cushion with his paws before curling into a ball. Apparently being a cute little fuzz-bucket required endless amounts of snooze time.

At the moment, Luz didn’t blame him because she was feeling a little bit tired herself and closed her eyes. Exactly how long had they been in this mansion? Surely by now the storm would have stopped and daylight would be close, and yet, as the clocks in the grand house chimed, it seemed that time had slowed down.

**Bong. Bong. Bong.**

That was twelve chimes, so if it was midnight -

**Bong.**

Wait. Luz frowned. Did all those clocks just chime thirteen times? She felt a presence at her side and heard the shuffling of clothing as someone sat beside her.

“Luz?”

She opened her eyes and turned to see Amity looking down at her.

“Are you okay?”

Luz grunted. “Yeah, it’s just,” she rolled her head to the other side and stared at the painting of the woman sitting on the headstone. “When a ghost asks you to help free some trapped souls in a mansion, you don’t expect there to be so much…drama. The ride made it look so much easier.”

“Ride?”

“Yeah, though I kinda remember the World version more than the Land one. Mami and I went there way more often.” She looked at Amity and waved a hand. “Human thing, never mind.” There was a sting in her heart as she dropped her hand to rest on her stomach, her memories of home darting through her mind with just one quick mention of it. How long had it been since she last vlogged for her mom? When was the last time she had even thought of the human world? Like, actually thought of it?

The Ghost Host’s story of a human coming to the Boiling Isles before her time picked at the tender scar on her heart from when she burned away her one ticket home. Pulled from the human realm because a summoning ritual meant for a demon had gone wrong? How much magic would be needed to do something like that?

Beside her, Amity watched Luz’s face scrunch into a frown as she closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. The cobra palisman lay to her left, a sentient statue of magical potential. An unusual creature to take a shine to, but if anyone could find a way to accept even the creepiest of crawlies, it was her Luz. Amity pulled back a few inches when she registered that particular thought and covered her face. Titan, now she was starting to think of Luz as her own? This was not the place nor the time to get moony-eyed! She had to stay focused!

And yet, she peeked between her fingers at the lounging girl next to her, something told her it would be far easier said than done. Of all the places and histories to become embroiled in, they had to choose the one that mirrored her own. An heiress born into a powerful witch family, trapped between the status and tradition her parents upheld against the chance of actual happiness and love. With, of all the beings in the Isles, a human from another world.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Amity watched Luz’s face as her muscles slowly relaxed into a sleepy doze. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as her eyes traced the soft curves of Luz’s cheeks, her lips as they parted ever so slightly when she sighed, her eyelids as they flickered from movement beneath. Wait, were her ears moving? A giggle nearly escaped Amity’s lips and she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth when she watched Luz’s round ears lazily wiggle about.

_ OhmydearsweetTitan, that’s adorable! _

Amity felt her own ears flick up and down with her glee as she carefully leaned over the human for a better look. Suddenly, Luz grumbled and rolled on her side, her arm flopping over and, to Amity’s horror, catching her in the arm and knocking her on her stomach. Before Amity could move, she felt Luz’s weight press into her side with her arm slung across her back, blocking her from escape. Could this get any more embarrassing?

_ “Well, isn’t that a pretty picture? _ ”

If there was a spell that could let the floor open up and swallow Amity whole, she wished she knew it. Instead, she could only glare hotly at the Ghost Host’s leering shadow while her ears flapped like an excited bird’s wings.

“ _ If I had a heart, I’m certain it would be melting. _ ”

“Shut up!” Hissing, Amity tried to wriggle out of Luz’s hold, but the human groaned and pulled her closer, making her squeak. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“ _ Not at the present, your companions are still on their way, so it will take some time. _ ” The shadow tilted its head. “ _ You seem tense. _ ”

Amity’s eyes widened and she hissed. “Oh, really? What tipped you off?”

“ _ I must admit I’m at a loss. When you first entered this manor, I was under the impression you and Miss Noceda were together. Yet, she treats you as a compatriot and you seem to be, well, _ ” it shrugged. “ _ Confused. _ ”

Understatement of the year. Amity felt her right eyebrow ticking up and down with the effort of trying not to explode. “I...don’t know what you’re talking about. Luz is my friend and, in case you forgot, I am a Blight. We’re not exactly known to be the  _ cuddliest _ of witch families. Just spending the time that I already do with her would be enough to drive my parents over the edge! Blights only associate with the strongest of witches..”

“ _ And yet here you are, in the arms of a human. I may not be of the living, but I am no fool, nor am I blind to what I can see right in front of me. Say what you want to your friends, your family, but do not lie to yourself or to her. I’ve seen how you look at her, it’s not that hard to read the level of care you feel for this human. Don’t make the same mistake Emilia made with Chiaro. _ ”

Huffing, Amity scooted backwards and pulled her head out from Luz’s arm, letting it plop to the floor. “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one whose had to spend every second under your parents’ thumb. I’ve spent my whole life being told how to think, feel, and act. So excuse me if I can’t get out of my own way when the feelings that I get are overwhelming! Everytime I try to talk to her, I fail to find the right words.”

The shadow seemed to grow along the floor, giving Amity the notion it was leaning towards her, a thoughtful growl rumbling from its shape. “ _ You try, you fail, you try, you fail, but the only true failure is when you stop trying. _ ”

Amity blanched. “What the Titan is that supposed to mean?”

Voices drifted from the hall and the shadow darted back to the entrance, the candelabra rising off the floor. Growling at her embarrassment, Amity slapped her hands over her traitorous ears and heard Luz murmur. Only Luz could find a way to sleep on a hardwood floor in the middle of a boiling rain storm in a haunted mansion.

“ - not my fault we lost it!”

Luz let out a loud snort when Boscha’s voice echoed from the hallway and she rolled her head to look at Amity, her cheek pressing into the rug. “Wha’d you lose?”

“Uh,” Amity shook her head and jabbed a thumb at the door.

“You’re the one carrying that thing around, bragging about it being a silver-bladed weapon like a demon hunter!”

“Silver can’t hurt ghosts! It probably just realized how boring you are and went somewhere with cooler spirits.”

“Or it got tired of your voice.”

“ _ Ladies! I see you had a rewarding endeavor with solving your portion of the riddle. So, how did it go? _ ”

Amity was positive she could hear the glare Boscha was no doubt giving the shadow and something gooey hit the floor. Probably aimed at the Ghost Host.

“ _ Ah. So you met Jack the Pumpkin King. _ ”

“Shut up.” Boscha tramped into the room, her face furrowing even deeper when she saw someone else had beaten her back. Orange slime covered her shoulders and odd white oval shaped seeds hung from strands in the slime and in her hair. Slung over her shoulder was a large hatchet that Amity instantly recognized as something used for chopping wood, its gleaming silver blade also coated in orange slime. Just behind her came Willow, clutching a small leather-bound book to her chest. Neither appeared interested in looking at her companion.

“How the Titan did you get here before us?” Shrieked Boscha, lowering the hatchet to hang by her leg. “Did you even leave this room? Or did Ghosty back there set you up with a candle-lit dinner and serenade you with songs?”

Hands still pressed firmly over her ears, which had started flapping again at the thought of such a scene with Luz, Amity sighed. “For your information, Boscha, we did leave this room and learned quite a lot of the history of this manor, and of the curse.”

“Really?” Willow walked over to her and sat down in one of the free chairs, setting the book in her lap. “What did you learn?”

“A lot,” Sitting up, Luz looked from Willow to Boscha, taking in their appearances. “What happened to you two? You look like you massacred a pumpkin patch.”

“Try the other way around.” Growling, Boscha drew a spell circle and her magic began to clear away the pumpkin guts from her clothes and hair, Willow doing the same. “While you guys were prancing about on your little history tour, we had to fight against some freakish fire-breathing plant monster that blew its guts all over us. All for some stupid journal that we can’t even read!”

Luz’s eyes widened. “A pumpkin monster that breathes fire? That sounds so cool!” She gulped at the pointed look Amity gave her. “I mean, that’s awful! But, still cool. At least you guys are okay?”

Snorting, Boscha pulled a strand of pumpkin from her bangs and chucked it into the fire before dropping down onto a chair. “Yeah, sure, whatever. At least I got this super cool ax that destroyed the poomp-kin.”

“ _ Interesting fact about that ax, it belonged to Chiaro. _ ”

Luz and Amity’s heads whipped around to gape at the Ghost Host and to each other, mouths hanging open. Boscha stared at them, but Willow’s eyes widened and she flipped open the journal in her lap.

“Chiaro. That’s the name in this journal. You two know it?”

“Yeah,” Scooting over to Willow, Luz looked at the journal and the writings on the pages. Seeing her friend’s attention on the words, Willow tilted it for her to see better.

“I tried to use a translation spell on it, but I don’t know what language this was written in. It’s not anything I’ve seen before.”

Humming thoughtfully, Luz took the offered book and leaned in to study it. The words were different from what she was used to, but she recognized the similarities and conjugations of most of what was written. “And I don’t think this is a language you would have seen before, at least not on the Boiling Isles. This was written in Italian.”

“It-al-what?” Boscha repeated.

“Italian. It’s a language from the human world.”

Willow blinked. “Why would someone write something in a human language?”

“Because,” Amity straightened her back, finally regaining control of her ears. “Chiaro was a human.”

Boscha looked up from the hatchet blade to Luz. “Your kind really likes to creep into our world, don’t you?”

“Hey!”

“It was a summoning ritual for a demon that brought him here.” Amity said, cutting off Luz. “Chiaro was found by the family and taken in as a servant. This must have been his personal journal.” She then turned to Luz. “Can you read it?”

Luz carefully flipped through a few of the pages, feeling self-conscious of the fact this was now the second time she was going through someone’s written private thoughts. Not wanting to meet Amity’s eyes now that that particular memory came to mind, she nodded. “I think so. Italian and Spanish have the same basic origin, I should be able to make out some of it.” Scooting backwards so she could use the firelight, Luz nudged the cobra palisman and set it out of the way.

“Luz? Where did you get that staff?”

She looked up from the book to Willow and down at the staff. “Oh! This is Rex. He belonged to Emilia’s teacher, Mezzanotte.” Pausing, Luz turned to look at Amity as a thought clicked in her mind. “Y’know something? I just realized Mezzanotte is an Italian name as well.”

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Amity looked over her shoulder to see the lights of the candelabra flickering just out of the entrance to the room.

“Well, you guys definitely learned a lot about this place, it seems.” Sighing, Willow leaned back in her chair. “We actually met a little ghost friend that helped us find the room where the journal was, but it disappeared when we left.”

Luz’s eyebrows went up. “Really? What did it look like?”

“A small glowing sphere of silver light. Oh, and it made this cute little trilling noise.”

While Luz squealed at the idea, Amity tilted her head consideringly. “Interesting, maybe the Ghost Host knows who it was?”

“Actually, about that,” tapping her fingers, Willow glanced in the shadow’s direction and leaned forward. “It was when we saw the Ghost Host that the spirit ball disappeared.”

“More like it hightailed it when it saw the Ghost Host.” Boscha interjected, her legs dangling over the armrest. “I didn’t know ghosts could still get scared.”

Amity frowned and shared a look with Luz. A spirit afraid of the Ghost Host?

“ _ Welcome back, you two!” _

Everyone turned to see Gus and Skara enter the room and the Ghost Host trailed in after them, setting the candelabra down and closing the door. Skara’s hair looked like she had been running through a windstorm and there was a large red mark on Gus’s forehead. The instant they took everyone else in, Skara’s eyes widened.

“Why does Luz get a magic staff and Boscha gets an ax while we were sent flying around the room with a marching band chasing us?”

“ _ I take it your chat with Madame Leota was eventful? _ ” The Ghost Host settled down on the same chair shadow from before and leaned its face on a fist.

“You could say that,” Gus moaned, rubbing his tender head. “But next time, warn us? That marching band was intense.”

Luz winced sympathetically. She remembered watching the human version at school and had seen some classmates take instruments to the face. It was not pretty.

“ _ Yes, apologies for that. Madame Leota is a brilliant oracle and medium, but she can be a little...temperamental. _ ”

“So then, why didn’t you talk to her yourself?” Skara grumbled.

“ _ Simple. She doesn't like me. _ ”

Boscha snorted. “Why isn’t that a surprise?”

The Ghost Host sighed and a log in the fireplace popped, startling Luz enough to jump onto Amity.

“Um, sorry bout that.” Luz chuckled nervously, shifting out of Amity's lap.

The witch was almost positive the Ghost Host had been responsible for that.

“ _ Now that we are all back together, _ ” the shadow’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “ _ Perhaps we can regale each other with our findings to break the curse? From what I can see, the parties that were not with me gathered quite a lot. _ ”

Willow sighed and stood up. “I’ll go first.” She told the group everything that happened to her and Boscha, from the moment they realized they had been separated to the fight against the pumpkin monster. Luz did not miss the fact she had purposefully omitted the spirit ball from her story, which confused her, but she decided to keep quiet. If Willow had a reason for nor bringing it up, then it had to be a good one.

She and Amity took turns telling their side of what they had learned from the Ghost Host’s recounting of the mansion’s history and the doomed affair of Emilia and Chiaro. At one point, Luz tried to show off Rex and, in an attempt to wake him, performed a spell. Unfortunately, all it did was shoot a literal fart of smoke in her face that knocked her onto her butt and sent everyone in the room, living and dead, into a full-blown laugh attack. After she managed to clear her vision, she saw Rex was still sentient.

When everyone was able to calm down enough to focus, Gus and Skara took their turn at describing their discovery. Amity did her best to listen, but she was still struggling against the fit of giggles she got every time she looked at Luz’s smudged face. The ash from the smoke had hit her at just the right angle to paint an almost bandit-like mask over her eyes and ears. Amity’s fingers itched with the temptation to wipe the ash away, especially since Luz did not seem to be aware of what was on her face.

“Um, Luz?” She whispered.

Luz looked at her.

“You’ve got something on your...” she tapped her temple, but Luz just blinked at her quizzically. Sighing, Amity drew a spell circle and summoned a handkerchief. “Hold still and close your eyes.” Cupping Luz’s chin in her palm, Amity began to wipe the ash from the human’s face, not feeling Luz tense at the sudden contact or the subtle heat creeping along her cheeks. Mostly because she was hyper aware of her own burning face and the Ghost Host’s attention on them while Gus continued on with his story. 

You try, you fail, but the only true failure is when you stop trying. Well, this was not the right moment totey anything, not when they had an audience. Sighing, Amity swiped the last bit of ash from Luz’s face and leaned back, smiling satisfactorily.

“All done,”

Luz opened her eyes and ran a thumb over her cheek. “Wow, I didn’t know I was that dirty. Thanks Amity!” She gave her a quick hug and turned back to listen to Gus as he finished, hoping the witch didn’t see the blush covering her cheeks.

“So,” Willow leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “We still need to figure out Luz and Amity’s part of the riddle, but now we have to go to the family’s crypt to find this...missing familiar? How can we do that when it’s still raining?”

Amity shifted. “I guess we could all use our shields again,”

“ _ Actually, I may have something that could help without draining you of your magic. If it’s the family crypt you need to go to, Titan knows you’ll need your strength. _ ”

As if to illustrate the point, Luz’s stomach chose that moment to let out an undignified snarl and she flinched.

“ _ Do not worry, Miss Noceda, _ ” the Ghost Host rose from its chair and drifted to a blank section of the wall where the window had previously been. “ _ There will be plenty of food for you and your friends shortly. See, in order to escort you all to the family crypt, I will need to find us a mode of transportation. And right now we have the perfect window of opportunity to do that. _ ”

“And,” Amity narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What window is that?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise as the Ghost Host knocked on the wall and it clicked open, filling the room with the sound of many voices laughing and talking, as if enjoying a party.

“ _ The clocks in this manor work on a slightly different time than what you are used to. They have an extra hour set for very special occasions, and tonight is one of those occasions. _ ”

“The Thirteenth Hour,” breathed Gus.

“ _ Correct, my friend. Also known as the Bewitching Hour, where for just a short period, the barriers between and living and the dead are blurred. Allowing for certain magics that normally would not be available for those of the dead to utilize. Like this, _ ” The Ghost Host’s form tensed for a moment as if to brace itself and then it stepped out onto the floor, peeling its frame from the wall like it was walking through a door. Boscha yelped, toppling out of her chair and grabbing her hatchet, while Luz grasped Rex and instantly swung an arm behind her to block Amity, who quickly summoned a spell circle. Willow yanked King off the sofa, earning a startled “Weh?” and Skara and Gus jumped back, drawing their spell circles as well. Now that they could finally see the Ghost Host’s shape, the group stared slack-jawed.

Its body was still composed of the shadows that rippled along the surface like flames, only now it held a distinctly humanoid, and corporeal, shape. Long arms ended in clawed fingers, its legs giving it enough height to stand at least two feet above the witchlings. A wiry tail grew out from its spine to the curl on the floor and ended in a single tipped point with what looked like wings unfurling from its back. Atop its head sprouted two sharp horns and its pointed ears grew from the sides of its face. Golden eyes slid open and its crimson irises lazily took in the shock of the group. Crossing its arms over its chest, the Ghost Host chuckled.

“ _ Come now, witchlings, we have a party to attend. This way, if you please? _ ” It pushed against the wall and it opened like a door, revealing a massive ballroom filled entirely with spectral figures. Without hesitation, the Ghost Host strolled into the crowded space, forcing the group to snap out of their surprise and hurry after their guide.

Somehow, Luz found herself in the front of the single line her friends had joined. Amity was behind her, then Gus, Willow, Skara, and Boscha. King had managed to climb along everyone’s shoulders to sit on Luz’s, but his tail kept swatting Amity in the nose and she held back a step.

It was hard for her, or for anyone for that matter, to not stare at the spectral party attendees. At a glance, they all looked like normal witches and demons enjoying yet another nameless celebration for the privileged and powerful. That was, until the realization kicked in that their bodies were see-through, composed of a strange rippling light that varied from dark green to light blue to even pale silver. The clothes they wore looked like something from a period piece, elegant evening gowns of silk and lace and fine tuxedos and suits of different cuts. Amity briefly wondered if this was what she would like to her friends if they were to see her at one of the parties her mother hosted for their coworkers. The thought made her squirm and she scooted closer to Luz, ignoring King’s tail.

If the Ghost Host had expected them to go about unseen, it was mistaken. The moment they entered the ballroom, all of the spirits turned to look at them. Granted, a shadow standing nearly seven feet tall with wings and a tail was hardly discrete to begin with, but at least the sight of it seemed to deter the party goers from getting too close. The Ghost Host eventually brought the group to an open section of the floor where, to everyone's relief, stood a long buffet table laden with rich food.

“ _ Please wait here for a few minutes. I will see to it our transportation to the crypt is prepared. _ ” The Ghost Host took a step, paused, and turned back to the group, its wings hugging its back. “ _ Oh, and don’t mind the happy haunts. They are a curious lot, but completely harmless. _ ” With that, the Ghost Host walked back into the crowd and, literally, disappeared from sight.

King leapt from Luz’s shoulder to scramble up the buffet table and immediately began inhaling anything that resembled a sugary treat. Luz, Boscha, and Gus shared a look and hurried over as well, grabbing plates and heaping foodstuffs onto them while also shoving food into their mouths. Willow and Skara carefully picked at some of the dishes, trying to be more far discrete than the rest of their group. Amity however, hung back, her attention instead on the surrounding party and its attendants.

The ballroom was huge, probably at least the size of the gym at Hexside, if not bigger. The ceiling was domed and numerous chandeliers hung from its rafters. An interesting feature to the room was the long spiral walkway that lazily wrapped around the entirety of the room up to almost the ceiling itself, spanning out to make a sort of viewing platform for guests to look down on the dancefloor. The spiral itself continued on where the walkway ended on the dancefloor, curling in on itself to end in the center of the ballroom. A band played on a dais from a corner of the room, their tune surprisingly upbeat considering its undead audience. The entire room was bathed in a soft magenta glow from the diffused lights glinting in the hanging chandeliers.

Raising an eyebrow as she took it all in, Amity had to admit to herself that the Pandor family, though no better than the Blights, clearly had a flair for showing off.

“Hey, Amity!”

She turned around to see Luz holding a plate full of finger sandwiches and three slices of dragonberry pie.

“You have to check out this buffet! You wouldn't believe the food they’ve got here! And it's all ghost food that we can eat! Isn’t that nuts?”

Amity couldn’t help but smile at the human’s excitement and shook her head. “You can’t seriously expect to eat all of that before the Ghost Host returns, can you?” There were at least two meals worth of food on the plate, but that didn’t seem to phase Luz when she glanced questioningly at the small pile.

“Well, maybe...but some of it is for you! Can’t have a fellow Azura fan starve on our adventure!”

“Thank you Luz,” Amity blushed and turned back to watch the party. “But, I’m honestly not that hungry.”

“What? Why? Are you okay?” Luz leaned forward to get Amity to look at her, but the witchling glanced away. “Is it because this place reminds you of your home?” She saw Amity’s fingers tighten on her arms and knew she hit the mark. From the little Amity had been willing to tell her, plus the flashback in Willow’s memories and bits of information told by Willow herself, Luz knew Amity’s homelife was not the easiest nor the warmest, and her parents were none the better. If the Pandor family was anything like the Blights, Luz had a feeling it was rubbing her friend in the worst of ways. Though she was still curious as ever to find out just who Amity had been afraid of being rejected by to ask out to Grom, Luz figured the least she could do now was make her feel better. Looking back at the table, Luz caught sight of what looked like a veggie tray and grinned.

A few moments later, Amity felt Luz tap her on the shoulder and she sighed. “Luz, I really don’t -” she turned around and stopped mid-sentence.

Luz had shoved an entire mess of what she had guessed to be the Boiling Isles version of asparagus, long red stalks with white tips, under her upper lip and held two big rounds of bright purple and yellow striped zucchini-looking slices over her eyes. “Do I have something in my teeth?”

Amity just stared at her, wide-eyed, and burst out laughing, holding her sides as she fought to breathe. Luz grinned through her asparagus-teeth, ignoring the admonished stares the surrounding spirits were giving her. Boscha slowly snuck around the side and pulled out her scroll, snapping a picture.

“Payback,” she whispered, grinning wickedly.

A throat cleared behind Luz and she turned around, then spat the asparagus onto her plate when she saw the Ghost Host staring at her.

“ _ Pardon the interruption, but our ride is here. _ ” The shadow inclined its head to the rest of the group. “ _ Time to visit the Pandor family crypt. I hope you all are ready because it’s going to be a real scream. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before anyone says anything, I know the Ghost Host is meant to be a voice and not a physical manifestation, but this character has grown so much since this all began that I just took it and ran. Hope you all enjoyed meeting the Ghost Host “in person”, and them saying to Amity one of my favorite lines from the movie. See you all in the next chapter, stay safe, and have a happy Halloween!


	7. Grim Grinning Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, it wouldn’t be the Haunted Mansion without a ride through a graveyard.

The Ghost Host led the group along the side of the ballroom and into a narrow hallway where light spells flickered dimly from the noticeably lower ceiling. Even the Ghost Host had to hunch forward to allow room for its tall stature and curling horns. From behind, Luz did her best to not crowd the shadow’s wings and watched the pointed tip of its tail, morbid curiosity making her wonder what would happen if she got too close. 

Spectral servants flitted about the hallway back and forth from the ballroom and the many different doors lining the wall. Of course, they were not bothering with leaving the doors opened or closed, they passed right through them. One servant darted by Luz and their arm went through her shoulder. Instantly, she felt her muscles lock up from the intense cold and she shivered, tightening her grip on Rex. Whenever her time came, she really hoped she wouldn’t be trapped as a ghost.

Eventually, the Ghost Host stopped at a door and turned the handle, holding it open for the group. “ _Living first,_ ”

Luz chuckled nervously at the glowing eyes fixed on her and scurried through. The smell of musty hay and damp wood instantly assaulted her senses and Luz found herself standing at the end of a very large, and vacant, stable house. The doors leading to the outside were opened, revealing the still-falling boiling rain, but what caught Luz’s eye was what was sitting in the middle of the room. A tall, elongated carriage with a set of doors at the back and glass windows set into the sides, showing an interior of worn red velvet, and a low roof. The moment it clicked for Luz what they were going to ride in, her jaw dropped. Their ride was a hearse.

“ _Before any of you object,_ ” the Ghost Host said, seeing the expressions directed at the vehicle of choice. “ _This was the only one still in decent shape that would offer protection from the boiling rain, and would be large enough to accomodate all of you. I can assure you it is perfectly safe._ ”

“What about you?” Luz looked at the boiling rain outside. “Won’t the rain...you know…?”

The shadow blinked and it chuckled. “ _No, my dear. Remember, I’m dead. Nothing but shadow for the rain to pass through._ ” It placed a heavy clawed hand on her shoulder, which was surprisingly warm after the brush from the last ghost. “ _I am touched by your concern. Now, hop on in. We have much to do and very little time to do it in._ ”

“Why the rush?” Willow asked as they followed the Ghost Host to the carriage.

“ _Because, my dear witchling, once the Bewitching Hour has passed, I will lose my corporeal shape and revert back to my shadow form, which will prevent me from transporting you to the manor. Unless any of you would be willing to provide a few drops of blood of the living to maintain my form?_ ” It grunted at the uneasy expressions the group shared. “ _And I would not force you to do so. Now, there are other ways leading between the crypt and the manor, but I would strongly advise against choosing them._ ”

Boscha rested the blade of the hatchet on the floor and leaned against the handle. “What, don’t think we can take it?” Her smug smirk faltered at the warning growl from the Ghost Host when it turned to her.

“ _The Pandor family, though prestigious and powerful, have a great many skeletons in their closet, hidden deep within the catacombs of their crypt. I’m fairly certain an accomplished witchling such as yourself could face a challenge of that caliber, but believe when I tell you this: you really don’t want to do that. Now,”_ the shadow held open the door. “ _Who would like to get in first?_ ”

Carefully tossing Rex into the hearse, Luz let King clamber in off her shoulder before heaving herself inside. There was just enough room for her to sit on her knees without her head hitting the roof, and she quickly turned around, holding a hand out for Amity.

The green-haired witch stared at the hearse, looking from Luz to the Ghost Host and back. Groaning, she took Luz’s hand and hoisted herself in. Luz scooted backwards to make room as the rest of their friends climbed into the hearse. Once everyone was safely inside, the Ghost Host closed the doors and walked around to the driver’s seat and climbed on.

“ _Make yourselves comfortable and keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the ride at all times. And, watch your demon, please._ ” Despite the fact there was no creature hooked to the carriage to pull, the Ghost Host scooped up the reins and gave them a sharp snap. A loud whinney filled the air and the hearse jolted forward, throwing its passengers together into a heap as the carriage rumbled out into the rain.

“There has got to be a better way to do this!” Boscha growled, shoving King off her face.

Grunting, Amity pulled her legs out from under Gus and shimmied onto her stomach so she was looking out one side of the hearse and her feet were facing the other side. After some more shifting and grunts, the party members made themselves as comfortable as they could. Which, considering the fact they were in a hearse headed towards the Pandor family crypt, did not really help. Outside, the boiling rain pelted the enchanted glass and drummed on the carriage roof as thunder rumbled in the distance. Amity glanced over at Luz to see the human had summoned a light glyph and was currently flipping through Chiaro’s journal. While she could not understand the strange human language the words were written in, Amity was amazed at their luck that Luz could read it and intrigued by what was documented on the pages. She must have been leaning in because Luz shifted closer for her to see better.

“He was from San Francisco, that’s a city in the human world.” Luz explained when Amiry gave her a blank look. “He couldn't have been much older than us when the summoning ritual pulled him here.”

“What makes you say that?”

Luz flipped to one of the earlier pages and tapped a sentence. “It says here he had his fifteenth birthday, that’s when Mezzanotte gave him the ax, for protection against the demons. He talks about her a lot, and of course Emilia. Guy was over the moon for her.”

Amity bit her tongue, she knew the feeling. “Is there anything that could help us with the curse?”

Shaking her head, Luz pushed through the pages. “Haven’t found anything yet. Here he mentions Damien and Mezzanotte working with Astor on combining necromancy and demons, but it’s a little tricky to translate Italian to Spanish.”

“But, I thought you said they were the same language?”

“Sort of,” Luz made a so-so motion with her hand. “They’re both Latin-based languages and sound similar, but there are still differences. I’m just glad we’re not having to deal with a person who spoke French. That one is a pain.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, but I’ll take your word for it.” Settling on her arms, Amity looked out the window as their carriage continued on down the path. There was a sudden jolt from the front followed by a muffled cry and a large, dead, tree branch crashed to the ground to the side of the hearse.

Everyone shared a look and Luz sat back on her heels to tap the wall of the hearse facing the driver’s seat. “Everything okay out there?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Came the reply. “ _It’s been quite sometime since I last took shape. I almost forgot how much a tree branch to the head can hurt._ ”

Amity instantly had the mental image of the demonic shadow rubbing its head like a child and she bit back a giggle. Luz probably had the same idea in mind because she was chuckling as well and laid back onto her stomach. To forget what it was like to have a body? A sympathetic tug pulled at Amity’s heart and she wondered again just who the Ghost Host had been before the curse. Maybe it wasn’t a member of the household staff, but one of the demons that had been summoned? That did make some sense, it had admitted to serving the Pandor family and had a lot of knowledge of them. But, something did not add up even to that theory. If a demon had been summoned and bound to the family’s will, surely it would have been far more bitter towards its masters and possibly would have relished their suffering in the curse. So, if the Ghost Host was not a demon or a member of the household, then who was it?

“Guys!”

Everyone looked up to see Skara pointing out of the window on the other side of the hearse. They must have entered a cemetery because headstones were popping up on both sides of the carriage. In fact, the longer they stared out the windows, the more headstones they could see. Spirits casually wandered about the cemetery as if it were a bright and sunny day, completely ignoring the drops of boiling rain that slipped through their translucent forms, partaking in activities that made the team gape in open wonder.

“Luz?” Gus whisper-shouted.

“Yeah?”

“I see dead people.”

Luz chuckled in her throat, but the noise sounded forced to Amity, as she looked just as fascinated as everyone else.

Just like in the ballroom, witches and demons mingled about the grounds in fine dressware, but this time, their outfits ranged not just in cut and material, but also by different eras. Witches of the Savage Ages, dressed in ragged skins and rags, walked beside members of the early days of the main Nine Covens in uniformed cloaks. Lords and ladies in decadent refinery watched phantom knights duel, their magics flying from ghostly palismans and clashing swords. Two lady witches sat on a pair of headstones enjoying a tea party as the teapot drifted between them to pour a smoky liquid from its spout. The hearse rolled past a broken archway where the spectral forms of an old undertaker and a hound of some sorts hunkered, watching the party as they passed by.

“ _Oh, there is something I forgot to mention,_ ” the Ghost Host’s voice whispered in the compartment, instantly putting the witchlings on edge. “ _Beware of hitchhiking ghosts. They can be a tad...annoying._ ”

Luz raised an eyebrow and turned to Amity. “What’re hitchhiking...ghosts…?” Her eyes widened at something over Amity’s shoulder, making her frown.

“Luz? What’re you looking-?” Her words ended in a squeak as her eyes caught their reflections in the window.

Nestled between the two girls was a skeletal-looking witch wearing a top hat and suit, his eyes rolling in their sockets as he grinned widely at them. “ _Evenin’ ladies, mind if we drop in?_ ”

“We?” Amity choked and spun on her side.

Standing just behind a wide-eyed Skara was a dwarfish-looking witch with an exceptionally long beard and hunkered between Willow and Gus was a rotund demon with four eyes and wearing a ridiculously large bowtie and too-small bowler hat. Boscha, who had been flipping through her scroll, glanced up when Amity cleared her throat and looked at their reflections.

“Holy Titan!” She scrambled to pull the hatchet out from beneath her, but the small space only made her stumble and flop back onto her stomach. The hearse came to a halt and the dark shape of the Ghost Host passed by the window, opening the carriage doors. Its gold and red eyes took in the hitchhiking ghosts and it sighed.

“ _Gentlemen,_ ” The three ghosts instantly vanished in puffs of smoke. A low chuckle shook the Ghost Host’s shoulders and it offered a clawed hand to the closest witch, who happened to be Skara. “ _We’ve arrived._ ”

“What about the rain?” Skara chanced a look out to see if it was safe, then, to everyone’s surprise, took the Ghost Host’s hand and jumped out of the carriage. “It’s okay guys, we’ve got cover..”

Amity watched as Willow and Gus both accepted the shadow’s help down from the hearse, but Boscha waved away the clawed offer, choosing to jump out herself. When it was her turn, she glanced back at Luz as the Ghost Host held out its hand. The human nodded at her encouragingly and she turned around, sliding her hand into the shadowy palm. She was surprised at the unexpected warmth radiating from a hand that felt like nothing but fog, yet its long fingers delicately closed over her own and she jumped down from the carriage in its careful grip. For a brief moment, Amity stared up at the tall creature as it released its hold on her.

“Who are you?”

A low growl rumbled in its throat and it straightened its back. “ _I am your Ghost Host._ ” Facing the carriage, it held out a hand to King, but the demon elected to leap from the narrow step onto Amity’s shoulder, propelling her forward a couple feet from the unexpected weight.

“ _And last but not least, our human Luz.”_

Grunting as she shuffled forward, Luz pulled Rex from the back and held the staff and journal out. “Hey, Amity, hold these for me?” Amity nodded, taking the polished wood and leather book from Luz to allow the human to accept the Ghost Host’s hand and jump down. Of course, that was when the flat stone they had all stepped down on chose that moment to dip into the soft earth and Luz lunged forward, forcing Amity to drop the staff and catch her to avoid tumbling head-first into the boiling rain. “Thanks, Amity.” She looked up at her with a grin, but it quickly dropped as she realized just how close their faces were when their noses brushed. Luz saw the bright red blush flare in Amity’s cheeks and felt her own face warm in response as a tremor slid down her spine and into her stomach. Did Amity always have those flecks of gold in her amber eyes? Had her eyelashes always been that long? Luz’s gaze fell to her soft pink lips that were currently parted just enough to reveal a hint of fangs and her breath lodged in her throat. “Hermosa.”

“ _What was that?_ ”

The girls sprang back from each other like they’d been electrocuted and Luz grinned widely at the Ghost Host. “N-nothing! I-I was just saying...um…” She looked at the stunned Amity and confused group waiting behind them. She was not about to admit what she had really said! “Um...Mim...osa? Yeah! Mimosa! It’s a drink from the human world, but Mami never let me have one cuz it’s an adult-only drink. I...saw a bunch of drinks that looked like them back in the ballroom! But I didn't have one! Thought about it, but didn’t! So!” She whipped around, clapping her hands together in an attempt to compose herself. It was not working. “Who's ready to go down the creepy tunnel inside the tomb first? I know I am!” Reaching down to pick up Rex, she set the tip on the ground in an attempt to look brave. “Ready when you are, Ghost Host!”

The Ghost Host tilted its head and crossed its arms. “ _While I admire your enthusiasm Miss Noceda, I fear you and your friends will have to enter the crypt without me._ ”

Luz’s over-eager smile droppe. “Say what now?”

“ _As I said before, there are limitations created by this curse that even I cannot break, and entering the Pandor mausoleum is one. This is the closest I can get to it. You and your friends will have to find the familiar that must be found yourselves. I wish it could be different, but I would not bring you here if I did not believe in you and your friends._ ”

Swallowing, Luz looked over her shoulder at the group of witchlings all glancing at each other with uncertainty and to Amity. What had first sounded like an easy task now suddenly felt impossible. To enter what was no doubt a haunted tomb belonging to a family of demonic summoners and find something none of them even had a clue of what to look for? Clutching Rex tightly, Luz turned and stared up at the Ghost Host’s featureless face.

“But, what if something bad happens? In all the movies I watched back home, it's always the graveyard, or mausoleum, or tomb, where the bad guy hides. What if one of us gets hurt? What if we...don’t come back?” She felt Amity’s hand rest on her shoulder and squeeze.

“We’ll be okay Luz, I’m sure of it. As long as we stay together.”

Luz met her eyes worriedly. “Yeah, but, what if we’re not?” Hearing the Ghost Host chuckling, she felt her gaze drawn up to meet red and gold and the shadow leaned forward.

“ _Do not spend all your time worrying of ‘what will’ or ‘what could’,_ ” it placed its hand on Luz’s free shoulder. “ _Only think of what is happening at the moment. What Will will come when it comes, and I trust you will be ready. Especially when you have friends as impressive and powerful as yours,_ ” it nodded to Amity and to the rest of the group, then tapped Rex’s head with a long clawed finger. “ _And don’t forget about Rex. He will be there to protect you too. Now, enough talk, go find that familiar. Help us break this curse once and for all._ ” The Ghost Host released Luz’s shoulder and pulled back, pointing behind her. “ _Follow this hall until it splits and take the path to the left. There will be a few stray haunts, but pay no heed to them and they will leave you be. When you find the Quartet, you’ll have found the mausoleum._ ”

Tempted as she was to ask what that meant, Luz nodded and turned around to face her team. “Alright, Team Owlet, let’s go!”

King scaled Amity’s shoulders to perch on Luz’s and looked at her. “Team Owlet?”

Luz shrugged. “It sounds cool!”

“No, it doesn’t.”

She rolled her eyes and, taking out a light glyph and activating it, held the ball of light in her hand and walked down the stone hallway, feeling Amity close to her side. Footsteps echoed as her friends quickly grouped around them and they followed the long path, leaving the tall shape of the Ghost Host behind. The structure they were in was a single hall of stone columns supporting the roof that shielded from the boiling rain. After the activity of the ballroom and graveyard, the lack of ghosts set an eerie silence about the group that settled over them like a haze. Luz held tightly to Rex, every so often checking the closed lids for any sign of life, but the cobra stayed asleep. King wriggled his way into her hoodie, keeping his head turned to watch for anything that could ambush them from behind. Amity hugged Chiaro’s journal to her chest and Boscha kept the silver hatchet on her shoulder as if anticipating the sudden need to use it. Skara’s eyes darted about the stone structure, wringing her hands anxiously, and Willow and Gus kept their own light spells close.

When they finally came to the split in the hall, Luz started to turn right, but Amity caught her wrist and corrected her.

“Right, we go left...my bad.” Luz let Amity pull her back to the front of the group as they continued on down the corridors. Now, instead of columns on both sides, a solid wall of light grey stone stretched out, tiny copper vases marking the smooth surface. Squares checkered the stone, each bearing a name and date carved into the center.

“This must have been where they contained the ashes of the dead,” Skara ran a hand along the wall, her finger tracing a name. “Why are there so many?”

Brow furrowed, Amity took a step back to better take in the wide expanse of names, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luz walk up to her and stare up at the wall. “Something’s not right,” the green-haired witch murmured.

“What?”

Exhaling through her nose, Amity pointed to the wall. “The practice of preserving the dead’s ashes did not come about until ten years after Emperor Belos came into power. If what the Ghost Host told us is true, the curse on the Pandor family was enacted at least fifty or so years before Belos. That means this wall, and all the ashes preserved in it, was created after the curse.”

“But, why would anyone want to do that? And, how?”

“I think I know,” Gus turned away from the wall and spun a spell circle. A large book fell from the circle into his hand and he walked it over to Luz and Amity, Willow, Boscha, and Skara gathering around. A couple light spells popped up to illuminate the cover; **Friends on the Other Side and You: the Art of Demonic Summoning.** “I found this in the library when Ghost Host separated us. It’s a walkthrough on the basics of summoning a demon, but also has a complete encyclopedia of the different demons to summon, including,” flipping through the pages, Gus caught one with his thumb and held the book open for everyone to read.

“There are many Greater Demons crawling through the realms,” read Gus. “But none as mysterious as the Nowhere Demon. A creature born of shadow and starlight, it holds the power to be everywhere and nowhere, thriving off the life energy of the souls it snares in its darkness. Silent as the shadows it lurks within, this creature feeds off the warmth of the living by drawing out their life essence. It has been known to steal the essence of those who have yet to cross over, making this one of the few creatures able to bring death to the dead. No weaknesses have been found of this Greater Demon, only that it enjoys playing with the minds of its victims until their will is broken. Even once their body has turned to ash, the Nowhere Demon will feed off their essence until nothing remains.” On the neighboring page was a sketch of a demon with long limbs, two horns growing from its head, wide-spread wings, a narrow tail curling around cloven feet, and a pair of red-gold eyes staring out at the reader. “Guys, I don’t think we’re the first who were asked to break this curse.”

The only sound that filled the space was that of the boiling rain still pelting the ground and the occasional whisper of a ghost that passed by, hardly sparing the group of living withclings a glance. Luz slowly shook her head, her face pinched in a frown.

“No, no, that can’t be right. How could the Ghost Host be a Greater Demon? Why would it ask us to break the curse if it had the chance to get us at the beginning? That can’t be true!”

Gus swallowed. “I’m sorry Luz, but, it’s all right here.” He closed the book, tucking it under his arm. “I know you’ve spent more time with the Ghost Host, but, the book says the Nowhere Demon likes to play mind games with its prey. What if this whole curse thing is just a ploy for it to feed off of us?”

_Like the puppeteer._

“No!” Luz yelled, making everyone jump back and King spring out of her hoodie. “You’re wrong! I don’t believe you!” She turned away and ran down the corridor, wanting to put as much distance between herself and that book as possible, not caring how far she got from her friends or which turns she took. Finally, Luz came to a stop and dropped down on a marble bench, feeling the cold from the stone seep through her clothes into her skin as she lowered her face into her hands.

The Ghost Host couldn’t be an awful monster like the Nowhere Demon, it just couldn’t! Not after everything it had done for them, after what it had told her and Amity about Chiaro and Emilia. The Ghost Host cared too much about them, about the trapped souls in the manor. Still, it wouldn’t be the first time a demon had fooled her with a fake quest. Rubbing her eyes, Luz looked down at the staff she had dropped on the floor and picked it up, running a thumb over the cobra’s face.

“Why give me Mezzanotte’s staff if all you’d want to do is take my soul?”

“Luz?”

She looked up to see Amity appear around a column, a ball of magenta flames sitting in her palm. When the witch spotted her, her eyes widened and she raced to the human.

“Luz!”

Slowly, Luz got to her feet, preferring to look at the floor than meet Amity’s gaze. “I-I’m sorry Amity, but that book -” Her words were cut off by Amity throwing her arms around her neck and holding her in a tight hug.

“Don’t you ever run off like that again! What if something happened to you?”

Shocked by the unexpected physical contact, Luz wrapped her arms around Amity and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry Amity, it’s just, what Gus read from that book I-” she sighed, resting her face on Amity’s shoulder. “When I first arrived here, a demon tricked me with a fake quest just to get to Eda. I just don’t want to believe the Ghost Host could be something so awful. Not after everything it’s done for us, after everything it’s told us! None of it makes sense!”

Sighing, Amity slowly pulled away so she could meet Luz’s eyes. Never mind the fact her heart was racing or her face and ears felt like they were on fire when she stared into those deep chocolate-brown eyes. She could see the conflicted emotions darting about the human’s easy-to-read features and knew the facts Gus had dropped on her, though well-meaning, had hit a sensitive mark. Spotting some stray bangs sticking out from Luz’s head, she reached up and combed the cowlick back, biting her lip when she heard Luz’s breath hitch.

“I know, Luz, but you have to remember nothing here is what it seems. Gus was just trying to help. That book may be right, but we still don’t know for sure if the Ghost Host is a friend or foe. You and I have spent the most time with it and I want to believe it's on our side as well, but we can’t let our guard down. No matter what.” Dropping her hand to Luz’s shoulder, Amity steeled herself as she locked her gaze with Luz. “All we can do right now is keep on solving this curse and freeing the souls trapped here, just like you said. Whatever else happens between us and the Ghost Host, we’ll figure it out.” She frowned when Luz looked down and tightened her grip on her shoulders so the human returned her gaze. “Here, repeat after me: we can fix this together.”

A small smile tugged at Luz’s lips. “We can...fix this together.” Lifting Rex so the end rested on the stone floor, Luz’s smile grew into her signature grin. “Thanks Amity...I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She had not pulled out of Amity’s hold just yet, still staying close to the witch, her eyes slowly taking in her face. When her gaze slipped down to Amity’s lips and she visibly swallowed, the witch felt her heart slam against her ribcage. When Luz spoke again, her voice sounded breathless. “Amity…?”

“Y-yes Luz…?” She felt Luz lean in close, causing her whole body to freeze up and she shut her eyes. Bloody Titan, was this happening? She heard Luz inhale deeply, pause, then inhale again. Wait, she was...sniffing her?

“Listen, you smell something?”

Amity’s eyes snapped open and she stared at Luz blankly. “I beg your pardon?” A finger pressed to her lips and she squeaked.

“Ssshhh!” Hissed Luz, tensing as she cocked her head to the side to listen.

Confused beyond belief, Amity strained to listen for whatever it was that had caught the human’s attention. At first, all she could hear was rain. Or, was that the blood roaring in her ears at the embarrassing thought she had hoped Luz was actually going to kiss her? Then, she heard it. Voices floated out of the silence, seemingly coming from around the corner they were stood by. Cautiously, the two girls tiptoed to the edge of the stone wall and peeked around.

A small alcove settled at the end of the squat corridor overtaken by a curtain of ivy, and behind it, a large metal door. Just off to the side stood four short columns and, sitting on each one, was a stone head bust, singing at the top of their nonexistent lungs like a barbershop quartet.

“ _When the crypt goes creak and the tombstones quake_

_Spooks come out for a swinging wake_

_Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize_

_Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize_

_Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide_

_Or a silly spook may sit by your side_

_Shrouded in a daft disguise, they pretend to terrorize_

_Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize._ ”

Mouths hanging open, Luz and Amity stared at the odd spectacle and looked at each other in an attempt to process just what they were watching. Finally, Luz broke the silence when she tried to stop herself from laughing and let out a snort. “Hey, Amity? I’d say we’re _headed_ in the right direction.”

Rolling her eyes, Amity gave the human a shove. “Shut up. Let’s go find everyone and tell them we found the entrance to the crypt.” She still had to hold back a giggle when Luz smiled widely at her and they jogged down the hall, the busts voices echoing behind them.

“ _Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will they or won’t they...yes, I keep writing Lumity moments, but they’e just too adorable! And, like the Ghost Host, I like to mess with Amity. Speaking of the Ghost Host, do you think it is the Nowhere Demon? Or something else?  
> There has been a lot of talking and not much action, but don’t worry. Team Owlet is about to enter the Pandor family mausoleum, shenanigans are bound to happen. But what kind, you ask? Find out in the next chapter!  
> *insert Disney villain laugh*


	8. Better Run Through the Tunnels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs featured in this chapter: Shut Up and Dance, by Walk the Moon; Into the Night, by Santana; World on Fire, by Daughtry  
> \- You’ll find out why

Standing in front of a large metal door with the symbol of a lidless eye in the center of a triangle was unnerving. Knowing that beyond the door waited an ancient crypt housing an innumerable amount of dead bodies sent chills down the spine and settled into the stomach like a ball of ice. Welded onto the surface of the door beneath the eye was a warning to all who entered; here lay the passage to the dead. It should have sent the members of the recently named Team Owlet running as far away from the Pandor family crypt as possible. If not for the singing head bust barbershop quartet. Luz had already held off Amity twice from summoning her abomination to bash their stone heads in when she demanded they be quiet and they responded with one liting tune after another that did nothing to solve their inevitable doom.

“ _ Don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. _

_ I said you’re holding back, she said ‘shut up and dance with me.’ _

_ This woman is my destiny. She said ‘ooooh, shut up and dance with me!’ _ ”

Before Amity could take another swing, Willow looped her arm under her’s and yanked her back to the door. “Just ignore them, they’re a bunch of singing heads! They don’t have anything else to do!”

“Well, they’re getting really annoying!” Amity hissed, jerking around to stare daggers at the door as if it were somehow responsible for the melodic torture. “I don’t want to be stuck listening to this when we don’t have much of the night left!”

“ _ And we danced on into the night… _ ”

“I actually kinda like them,” Skara winced at the glared response. “They’ve got nice vocals for a bunch of heads!”

“Maybe next time you tell them to be quiet.”

Luz, who had been standing in front of the door, snickered, and turned to her team, setting the end of Rex’s staff on the stone floor. “Alrighty, is everyone ready?” She was answered with six resounding nos, one being from King who had reclaimed her hoodie. “Good enough!” She reached up for the long thick metal brace and pulled, though it was more of a lot of groaning and grunting as she tried to pull the rusted handle from its lock. Gasping, Luz stopped and looked at her friends. “Um, help please?”

Sighing, Amity stepped forward and drew a spell. “Abomination, rise!” She gestured for Luz to move away as the large gollum lumbered to the door and grasped the handle, shoving it out of its lock and pulling the door open. Cobwebs hung in a thick curtain over the door frame and beyond it, a set of stone steps spiraled down into darkness. A low moan rose up from the steps in a gust of wind that swirled around the team.

Willow squeaked. “I’m scared!”

“Hold me!” Boscha sprang into the witchling’s unsuspecting arms, dropping her hatchet. It took a split second for Willow to register who she was holding and dumped Boscha on the ground.

Clenching her hand in a fist, Luz pulled out a light glyph and ignited it, sending the glowing orb in front of her and tightened her hold on Rex. Ever since they had parted ways with the Ghost Host, she had felt a tiny heartbeat pulse from the dormant staff, but it still refused to show a sign of life. Lifting her free hand, Luz pulled at the cobwebs, holding the staff before her like a shield. “Okay guys, let’s do this.”

There was a brief bit of shuffling and some quips about who would stand where, but soon, Team Owlet stepped through the door of the crypt and onto the staircase to descend into the gloom. Just like before, Luz led the group with King perched on her shoulders and Amity close behind. This time, Willow, Gus, and Skara made up the middle of the group while Boscha brought up the rear, the hatchet clasped tightly in both her hands as her three eyes darted about the surrounding darkness. Each witchling, and human, had their own respective orb of light floating about their heads to illuminate the space around them.

The staircase they were descending was wide, offering more than enough space for them to walk side by side or even three by three, but after Luz had explained to them the nuances of human horror stories and what happened to those who were not careful, no one felt the urge to risk it. Without the reassuring presence of the Ghost Host, Luz did not want to entertain the thought of something going wrong. She remembered what happened the last time she acted on pure impulse without a solid plan in mind, and that had led to Eda losing her magic forever and being trapped by Lilith in Owl Beast form. Shivering at the memory, Luz continued down the staircase, testing each stone step as she descended. Though they were well out of the boiling rain, water still managed to drip through the cracks of the stones, taking away any possible traction for those who dared to enter. Which was probably why when they passed what was most likely the halfway point that Luz’s heel hit a slick patch that sent her sliding down like she was on the log jam ride at Mall of America.

“Luz!” Amity made a grab for the human, but only managed to lose her footing in the process, leading to Willow trying to catch her, then Gus, then Skara, who grabbed Boscha by the ankle for a lifeline, and instantly regretted it.

“Back!”

“Elbow!”

“Shoulder!”

“Head!”

From the bottom of the pile, Luz moaned, feeling like a literal human crash mat. “Son of a bench...is everyone okay?”

“No…” That was King.

Having lost her light glyph in the tumble, Luz tried to wriggle her arm out from whomever was currently squishing it into the ground to pull another out of her pocket. Feeling paper against her fingers, she yanked it out onto the floor and tapped it, hoping she had not pulled out a plant or ice glyph by mistake. Thankfully, a soft golden glow sprang up from the crumpling sheet of paper and she sighed with relief. At least now they were done with descending the stairs. Scooting out from beneath the warm body pressed against hers, Luz sent the ball of light out to the side as everyone attempted to unravel from the tangle they had fallen in. Seeing Amity sprawled just off to the side, Luz helped the witch to her feet.

“You okay?” Her eyes scanned her face for any sign of injury, but Amity shook her off.

“I’m fine, just was not expecting that.” She pulled her hair-tie out of her ponytail to redo it and looked around. “Exactly how far down are we?”

“Um…” A pinch on her shoulder from King’s claws snapped Luz out of watching those green strands slip through pale fingers, and she turned her head. “I’m not sure...it’s pretty dark in here. We’d better get some more light.” Luz quickly set about placing light glyph sheets on the stone floor every few feet, activating them as she passed, until a large expanse of the area was full of the comforting glow. Which, after she was able to take in their surroundings, Luz was instantly grateful for.

The room they were in was immense, not nearly as big as the ballroom, but significant enough in size to once again demonstrate the mystery of the Pandor family’s power. Droplets of water slipped through the cracks of the domed ceiling that sported a faded mural of what was most likely the demons summoned over the years and the witches controlling them. Luz could see the floor she was standing on was actually a platform that jutted out by a few feet before circling the room to serve as a walkway linked to thick shelves tucked into the stone. And on each shelf was a coffin.

Smooth lacquered wood painted with dark colors that easily accented the macabre setting of the mausoleum, each coffin held the bone-chilling echo of the sleep of death. Luz clutched Rex to her chest as she looked around the grim space.

“Hey, Gus? What was it that oracle told you guys to look for?”

Skara and Gus looked at each other and he cleared his throat. “‘Enter the tomb under the great dead oak, and travel down deep under the ground, and there you will find the familiar that must be found. Find the black crypt that bears no name or soon your fate shall be the same.Two hearts for two souls, love given new life, the willing shall dance by the end of the night.’”

Luz turned on her heel to the center of the room. The platform they were on not only led off to the circular walkway, but also dipped down to form a staircase going further into the bowels of the mausoleum. Walking to the top step to look down, she saw the bottom of the mausoleum was not actually as deep as she expected, roughly no more than twenty feet. The entire floor was covered with water, the stairs forming another walkway that looped around a dais in the center. More coffins dotted the floor, but these were all black stone, giving the illusion they had been carved where they sat. Archways set into the round wall hinted at the likely case there were even more caskets tucked away from the living world. On the dais crouched the large stone figure of a demon with its hands holding a stone casket with long clawed fingers, its horned head bowed in reverence. It was not hard for Luz to recognize the carving as the Nowhere Demon and she struggled to repress the shuddering thought that the Ghost Host could be the same thing.

_ No, we don’t know for sure. We just have to find that familiar! _ “Guys? I think we have to go down there...”

Boacha leaned over the edge to look at the caskets surrounding the statue. “Ten snails it’s a trap.”

“Twenty.” Chimed King.

Rolling her eyes, Luz descended the stairs, scanning for any tricky puddles. “You guys coming?” She called over her shoulder.

“Nah,” Boscha rested the blade of the hatchet on the floor and leaned her shoulder against a wall. “I’ll stay up here where I’m outta the way if that thing comes to life.”

Willow and Gus shot her a look. “We’ll go with you.”

“Same here.” Said Amity.

Luz nodded to them and glanced at Skara, who was eyeing the demonic statue warily. “Why don’t you stay up here as well? Just in case anything happens.”

Skara nodded her thanks and Luz followed the steps down with her friends pressed close around her. They stared at the surrounding caskets, all matching Madame Leota’s words. Exactly how were they going to know which one was it?

“We’re going to have to spread out,” Luz nodded to one side. “King and I will go this way.” Willow, Gus, and Amity nodded and chose their own direction, footsteps echoing around them as they crossed the stone path. Leaning over the first one she passed, Luz eyed the name carved over the top. Nope, she had to find one with no name.

“Hey, King?”

“Weh?”

“Do you know anything about the Nowhere Demon? Other than what Gus read from that book?”

The furry demon cocked his head to the side, looking over at the looming statue. “That book was pretty spot on as far as what I’ve heard about it. D’ya think Gus would mind if I ‘borrowed’ it to add to my demon book?”

“King!”

“That’s a yes,” Sighing, he shuffled onto her shoulder. “Look, I get you don’t like what you heard, but the Nowhere Demon is a very powerful creature. Heck, even I’d be happy if it joined my army of terror!” King struck a dramatic pose, but slipped and plopped back onto Luz’s shoulder. Seeing her downcast eyes, he placed a paw on the side of her head. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Remember how we showed Aterghast what happens when someone tries to mess with us? And who knows? Maybe the Ghost Host is the Nowhere Demon, but is actually good?”

Luz blinked at him. “Is that even possible?”

“Do you forget who you’re talking to? I am the King of Demons! I chose you and Eda for my subjects without force!”

Giggling, Luz smiled and gave the demon a scratch on his head, continuing on past the named caskets.

From across the room, Amity glanced up when she heard the human laugh and couldn’t help but smile to herself. Though, it was a small one and there was a touch of melancholy to it. How could she ever think Luz would see her as anything more than a friend? She had hoped that this adventure, spooky and bizarre as it was, would give Luz enough insight to see just how much Amity truly felt for her. Or maybe give Amity the courage she needed to confess her feelings. But no, just like all the times before, Luz simply laughed it off as being a good friend and Amity found her voice trapped in her throat. Passing two caskets, Amity wandered in a different direction she did not even bother checking. Maybe it was inevitable that a human and a witch would never be together, just like Emilia and Chiaro. Ironic, Amity thought, that the curse they were asked to solve somehow mirrored her own personal hell. The toe of her shoe hit stone and Amity looked up to see the dais before her, the black casket cupped in the Nowhere statue’s hands.

Glancing around to check where everyone else was, Amity climbed the short set of shallow steps and crossed to the casket, feeling the petrified eyes of the demon watching her movements. She crouched down and looked at the smooth stone, running a hand over the cool surface, studying the white veins cutting through the black marble. Interesting that there was nothing carved on the sides depicting who was resting here. Tradition dictated the middle of the room went to the highest valued members of a family with the greatest of all in the center. Standing up, Amity leaned over to look at the lid and saw nothing but flawless stone. A black crypt with no name.

“Luz! Gus! Willow!”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“I found it!”

They ran to the dais and stared at the smooth surface. “What next?” Willow asked.

Setting Rex down, Luz rolled her already short sleeves back and placed her hands on the lid. “Time to see what’s behind door number three. Hey, Amity, lend me a hand?”

Amity nodded. “Abomination, rise!” Even with the added strength of the gollum, it still took Luz, Amity, Willow, and Gus to slowly push the casket top from its place. The stone lid teetered over the edge and fell, crashing to the dais. Panting, Luz turned over her shoulder.

“Boscha! Skara! We found it!”

“Good job!” Came Skara’s reply.

“Now find that stupid familiar and let’s get out of here!” Boscha yelled. “This place is giving me the creeps!”

Wiping her brow, Luz looked down at the occupant of the casket and shivered. Just like in the movies she had seen, a grinning skeleton gazed up at the group through lidless sockets. Bits of skin and flesh clung to the nameless corpse, the tattered remains of a ceremonial funeral dress settled about its frame. There was no way to tell if the corpse was male or female, any piece of evidence had rotted away in its centuries of sleep. All Luz could see that hinted that this must have been a witch was the sharp canines gleaming from its jaws. Everything else had decomposed. Next to her, Gus made a retching sound and turned away from the grisly sight. Willow’s face had taken on a slightly greenish hue, and Amity had the look of someone in a desperate game of mind over matter. The smell alone was enough to make Luz’s stomach flip, but she had spent more than enough time scrounging through trash slugs with Eda to not be so overwhelmed. What exactly did that say about her? Probably nothing good.

“Okay,” she leaned over the side and grimaced. “Now, where is that familiar?”

The corpse had been positioned in the familiar pose of its hands crossed over its chest, its body ramrod straight in the coffin. A large sheet covered most of the body from the shoulders down, making Luz wonder if it was a death shroud. She then noticed there was something odd about the corpse’s chest, a small lump just beneath its hands. Gingerly, and with a shaking hand, Luz pinched the shroud covering the lump and, very carefully, peeled it back. Curled up in a tight ball, eyes shut as if in slumber, was a small white fox.

The small group stared at the small creature in open puzzlement and looked at each other.

“Is that a pailsman?” Luz gently prodded at the fox clasped in the corpse’s hands. The tips of the furry creature’s ears were a jet black, as well as the end of its tail and its paws. Luz tried to nudge the fox out of the dead fingers wrapped around it, but they held firm. Realizing there was only one way to pull the fox out of the corpse’s grasp, Luz swallowed hard and slipped her fingers around the thin finger bones. The crunch that followed almost made her lose those sandwiches she had eaten in the ballroom as did the cold clamminess of the tightly clenched hands. Unfortunately, it was becoming very clear just one hand was not enough to free the palizman. Biting her lip, Luz reached in with her other hand and pushed at the boney fingers.

“Dios mio, esto es asqueroso.” Feeling her fingers finally close around the fox, Luz tugged with all her might and felt the hands fall away, but not without a stomach-churning crunch. Doing her best to not crush the palisman while fighting to breathe, Luz turned around to face her friends. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” She was met with four deadpanned stares.

“So, this is the familiar that must be found?” Willow looked at the fox curiously. “What would a palisman be doing all the way out here? And without its staff?”

Amity, who had also been studying the fox, gasped.

“Emilia’s palisman,” she met Luz’s eyes. “Remember the incomplete staff we saw back in Emilia’s bedroom? I think this is it! This must be Artemis!”

The palisman’s eyes popped open, startling Luz as it shook its head, ears flapping about and it looked around at the human and witchlings curiously with a glowing silver gaze. Until it stopped on Amity. Chirping, the fox squirmed out of Luz's grip and leapt onto Amity’s arm to climb up and settle onto her shoulder. Amity yelped in surprise as the suddenly living palisman stared at her intently, its tail tickling the back of her neck.

“Um, hello. Are you Artemis?”

The fox, Artemis, tilted its head and blinked. Wide-eyed, Amity glanced at Luz, her brain lagging with no notion of what to do. “Do you know the Ghost Host?” She asked the fox. It blinked again and its tail swished the air. “Okay...what about Madame Leota? She told us we had to find you, to help break the curse?”

A soft trill came from the fox’s throat and it looked around the room as if now suddenly realizing where it was, stopping when it’s eyes fell on the staff in Luz’s hands. The trill faded into a growl as its hackles stood up from its back, making Amity wince when she felt tiny claws prick her skin through her shirt. Luz took a careful step back.

“What? What’d I do?”

Amity reached up and lifted Artemis from her shoulder. Instantly, the fox stopped growling and stared at her as its expression morphed from hostile to realization and then, to everyone’s surprise, sadness. “Artemis?” Amity held the palisman up to her face. “Do you know what happened here?”

The fox lifted its eyes to her and slowly nodded.

“Okay, then let’s get you out of here and back onto your staff.” Amity set the fox back on her shoulder where it immediately tucked its body around her neck. “Ready?”

“Yup!” Luz wiped the cobwebs from her fingers and shook them over the open coffin. “I’m done with dead people.”

A skeletal hand shot up from the casket and locked on her wrist in an iron-clad grip. Luz screamed and lunged back as the dead witch sat up from its resting position, its mouth gaping open to release a long snarl. Magenta flames slammed into the corpse’s head, sending its skull off its shoulders and tumbling into the water below. Its hand still clung to Luz’s arm and she shook it desperately to dislodge the appendage.

“Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!”

“Hold still!” Amity grabbed the panicking human by her collar and yanked the dead arm from her wrist, throwing it over her shoulder. “We’d better go before anything else happens.”

Luz nodded, rubbing at the bruise forming from the boney grasp. They had taken not more than three steps off the dais before the sound of cracking stone reverberated around the room and an earthy growl shook the floor. Whimpering, Luz clenched her staff.

“King, please tell me that was your stomach?”

A rock hit the floor next to her foot and she slowly turned around, then looked up.

The Nowhere Demon statue loomed over them, its body stretched to its full carved height, horns scraping against the ceiling. Stone lids cracked open and a pair of burning crimson eyes slid down and focused on the group.

“What the Titan did you do?!” Boscha screamed from above. The sound of more stone cracking made them look around to see the solid walls of the mausoleum fissuring as the dead bodies kept behind fought to break out. Along the shelves, coffins began to shake and roll about, boney fingers slithering out from beneath their lids. Down in the center of the room, Luz and her friends watched in horror as the stone caskets trembled from the effort of their dead occupants struggling to escape. Overhead, the Nowhere Demon lifted the now-empty crypt and, with a thunderous roar, hurled the stone box to the coffin shelves above the platform.

“Boscha! Skara!” Luz yelled out as the stonework exploded where the two witches stood. Her heart plummeted to her stomach, but seeing their silhouettes running through the cloud of dust sent it racing back into her chest. Taking the steps two at a time, Luz lifted Rex and swung the staff with all her might at a zombie that had managed to claw its way out of its coffin, popping the head into the air like a soft ball.

_ Now might be a really good time for you to wake up! _ She thought, ramming the cobra head into another corpse’s chest. Pulling out her packet of glyphs, Luz slapped an ice glyph to the floor and speared three zombies in a row. Meanwhile, Boscha swung the hatchet at everything that approached her, the silver blade singing through the air as it cut down the undead enemies. The ground shook as Willow summoned her plant monster and instantly began mowing through the corpses that dared to leave their coffins. Gus drew spell circles that fired bright blue flames at the zombies, burning their bones and imploding their bodies. A spell circle around each wrist, Skara thrust her palms out and a deafening sound wave blasted the frail skeletons to bits. King clung to Luz’s shoulders as she darted beneath a zombie’s grasping fingers and hurled a burning fire glyph into its face. A cry from the side made her turn her head, panic stabbing her heart when she realized she did not know where Amity was inside the fray.

The gurgling roar of an abomination was all she had as a warning before the purple ooze monster barreled into the wake of zombies, swinging its arms wildly. Amity held onto the abomination’s back, her brow furrowed deep in concentration as they bashed through their skeletal foes. Any zombie that was not taken down by the gollum's fists were swallowed up in its sludgy mass. Luz caught sight on one decayed arm sticking out of the lower back that was creeping up towards Amity, and tightened her grip on the staff.

“Amity! Behind you!” Instincts taking over, Luz thrust the staff at the hand just as Amity turned around. A beam of starry, violet light flew through the air and hit the hand point blank, incinerating it on the spot. The two girls stared at each other, mouths hanging open, and looked down at the smoke trailing from the staff in Luz’s hands. Slowly, Luz rotated the stave to see the smoke pouring from the gaping mouth of the cobra palisman and its glowing violet eyes. A thin black tongue darted out to run along its fangs and scaly lips, and it hissed.

“Luz!”

She looked up to see the abomination pull its arm back and, taking her cue, dropped to the floor just as a zombie grappled the air where she had just been. The abomination’s arm lashed out, grabbing the corpse by its head, and chucked it across the room to shatter against the Nowhere Demon’s chest. Glowing red eyes turned to fix on Amity and she gulped.

“Oops.”

The giant statue roared and swung its clawed hands at the platform, crushing zombies and slicing through the stone holding it together. Luz yelped as the floor beneath her wavered and she scrambled to her feet. “We need to go, now!” She ran to the stairs that led to the exit, but the mass of zombies stumbling down brought her to a halt. There were too many of them to fight. They were trapped. “Ghost Host!” She yelled, but the Nowhere Demon’s roar drowned out her words. Surely there would be a way the Ghost Host could sense if they were in trouble? How could they get out of here if their only exit was...blocked? Eyes growing wide, Luz spun around and looked down at the archways in the lower center of the room. The water filling the space had to come from somewhere, and the Ghost Host did say there were other ways back to the manor.

“Guys! We have to take the tunnels!” The floor beneath started to crumble and Luz felt Rex tug her forward out of the grasping fingers of a corpse. Stones fell from the ceiling and speared the floor, splitting it into a chasm that grew alarmingly wide, separating Luz from her friends. She heard Amity cry her name, but there was too much dust and rock for her to see. Behind her, the mass of zombies moaned and reached out for her.

“Luz!” King yelled.

The cobra's hood flared open as it hissed loudly and Luz felt the staff tug her arm again, but this time up. Taking a deep breath, Luz charged at the chasm and, with King screaming in her ear, leapt up and wrapped her legs around Rex’s staff. There was a rush of wind and dust around her as the staff rocketed over the chasm and through the cloud blocking her friends from view. As well as the three zombies lifting their arms to attack. Luz plowed into them and sent the zombies tumbling down just in time for the Nowhere Demon to crush them with a cloven hoof. Her grip slipped from the staff and Luz collapsed on the floor, skidding to a halt on her stomach. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders as Amity pulled her to her feet.

“Luz! Are you okay?”

If it was not for the giant demon statue and multitude of zombies around them, Luz would have been flattered that Amity was checking her over for any major injuries. She still felt her face heat up, but stopped the witch by catching her wrist. “Amity, I’m fine! We’ve got a problem though, the way back is blocked. We’re going to have to take the tunnels!”

“What?” Amity’s eyes widened. “But, the Ghost Host told us to not go that way!”

A zombie lunged for them and Boscha lobbed it away with the ax. “We don’t have much of a choice!”

“But, which way do we go?”

The ground beneath them shuddered and the stones fell away as the Nowhere Demon slammed its fists against the wall.

“Run!” Luz yelled, shoving Amity ahead of her as they raced down the stairs to the water-filled center. The black stone caskets had since been opened, but the occupants lay crushed on the floor, no doubt by the towering statue’s feet.

“Okay human,” Boscha hissed as they watched the stomping hooves, ducking to avoid the demon’s sight. “Now what?”

Panting, Luz looked down at the water. “If we can figure out which direction the water is coming from, that should lead us to the sewers beneath the mansion. Unless,” she glanced at Artemis, who was still wrapped around Amity’s shoulders. “You know the way?”

Artemis glanced up at Amity and looked around the archways before nodding towards the one across the space, the Nowhere Demon their only obstacle.

“Alright Team Owlet,” Luz clenched tightly to Rex. “Run!”

“Stop calling us that!” Boscha yelled at her as they bolted for the archway, ducking under the Nowhere Demon’s stone claws. Corpses fell down on them from above and they pushed them back with any spell they could throw, until the smooth stone walls of the tunnel surrounded them on all sides. The zombies tried to shove through the archway as a mass, but the Nowhere Demon’s claws scooped them away as it let out a bellowing roar.

“Go! Go! Go!” Luz yelled and they tore off down the tunnel, their feet splashing in the shallow water. She could still hear the surviving zombies hot on their heels. Seeing the space ahead open up, Luz shot from the opening, and slid to a halt.

The tunnel led out to a large space with multiple doors leading off to anybody's guess where. Turning around to see the zombies, Luz looked at her friends.

“Hide!”

The group scattered, bouncing off each other as they ran for the nearest door to yank it open and slam it shut. Before finding her own hiding spot, Luz stopped to set glyphs along the walls and floor, slapping them as she ran by. Finding a door, she pulled it open and darted inside, just as the zombies entered the space. A resounding boom echoed through the door and bits of dirt and rock rained on her head. Luz stayed perfectly still, straining to listen through the door for any sign of activity. Not hearing anything, she cracked the door open and peered out to see chunks of quickly melting ice and scorched stones scattered about the area as well as the remains of the pursuing zombies. Sighing, Luz leaned her shoulder against the door.

“Glad that's over.”

A deep growl rose up from behind her and she turned to see a pair of glowing red eyes.

Amity was not sure if she heard the scream first, but she was definitely the first to open her door and watch Luz tear out from her hiding spot like a bat out of the Skull with the biggest hound she had ever seen chasing after her. The human ran across the wide room and yanked open the first door she could find, dashing through it. Snarling, the grey-furred hound bounded to the closed door and, to Amity’s shock, phased through it. Seconds later, Luz shoved open the door and ran to another one, not bothering to close it behind her. Doors opened behind Amity as the rest of the group peered out from their hiding spots.

“What the heck is going on?” Gus asked.

All Amity could do was point as Luz shot through another door, still screaming, the hound behind her. Yanking open another door, Luz and the hound were gone for no more than a few seconds before the door was flung off its hinges and the hound barreled out. Behind it, Boscha screamed a battle cry as she held the hatchet over her head. The door behind Amity opened and Luz poked her head out, scaring the green-haired witch to the ceiling.

“Is it gone?”

“Gangway!” Boscha hollered, racing down the hall, the hound and two exact duplicates chasing her. Flames hissed from their nostrils and smoke puffed out from their jaws. These were no ghost hounds, they were hellhounds. 

Everyone let out a collective scream and zizzaged about the doors, opening and closing them as they attempted to lose the phantasmic beasts. Amity felt Artemis clench her shoulder and she looked to see the fox pointing with its nose down another hall.

“Everyone! This way!” Amity’s feet pounded on the floor as she ran, grabbing a confused Luz’s wrist to tow her behind. The hellhounds bayed after the racing group as they rounded a corner. A lever jutted out of the wall and, when Amity glanced up, she saw the teeth of a gate sticking out of the ceiling.

“But,” she looked at Artemis. “They’ll run through the bars!” The fox stared at her and growled, and she grasped the lever, pulling it down with all her might. The bars dropped down just as the hounds turned the corner, and they crashed into the gate. Silver light shimmered through the bars like a barrier and the hounds snarled, turning around and running back the direction they came, howling their frustration. Amity’s hand went limp and slipped from the lever as she collapsed onto the floor, exhaustion getting the better of her. Luz sat down beside her and the rest of the group followed suit, the adrenaline from the fight draining from their bodies.

For a few minutes, they leaned against the walls as they struggled to catch their breath, the reality of their situation sinking in. The way out was blocked, they had no way of getting to the Ghost Host, and the Bewitching Hour was coming to an end.

“Now what?” Skara whispered.

Luz looked at Amity and, using Rex for support, slowly got to her feet. Taking out a light glyph, she tapped the paper and held the golden orb up. “Now, we follow these tunnels back to the mansion and hope the Ghost Host knows what happened.”

Back in the mausoleum, the glowing eyes of the Nowhere Demon statue went blank and shadows fell down the cheeks like tears, climbing along its body to reach the ceiling, then crawled up through the cracks. Outside the closed metal door, the darkness spilled out from beneath the doorframe and melded into the tall, featureless shadow of the Ghost Host. Crossing its arms, the phantom turned its head in the direction of the singing busts and sighed.

“ _ Well gents, looks like there’s been a change of plans. Any ideas? _ ”

“ _ Going down like a dead man walking _

_ One step from a body in the coffin. _

_ Just one, one of the fallen… _ ”

The Ghost Host hummed thoughtfully. “ _ Indeed. There is not much time left. _ ” The shadow darted off down the halls and past the carriage, weaving through the active graveyard like a serpent towards the manor. If the Ghost Host had a face, it would have smiled a wide, fanged grin and slipped into the windows of the manor. After centuries of waiting, everything was finally coming together and it was not about to let a certain little witch brat get in its way. Why else would it have friends on the other side for such a problem?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone order a hallway gag? This was a long one, but I hope you all enjoyed it!


	9. Things That Go Bump in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I’m updating this before Owl’s Apprentice. Don’t judge me...

Luz had never before in her life really understood the concept of darkness swallowing anything up. Sure, the darkness was a spooky thing and at some point in their life every child had a fear of whatever monsters they imagined lurking just beyond their sight. That was the reason why Luz had spent most of her five-year old nights snuggling in her mami’s bed until she bought her a little night light shaped like an orb for Christmas that year. Even when she had outlived her fear of the dark, Luz always made sure to keep that little night light plugged in and switched on when she went to bed. Funny that, when she thought about it, the light glyphs she could now summon reminded her of that glowing orb. But, as she led her friends down the twists and turns of the Pandor family tunnels, she finally saw just how the darkness consumed what it touched.

It was as if they were walking through the deepest end of the largest pool, weighing down around them like the pressure of water. Wherever they cast their lights, the darkness would visibly crawl away on the walls and ceiling, only to swarm back when they had continued on to cover their tracks. As if the very shadows surrounding them held a mind of their own. At times, Luz was more than positive she heard voices whispering within the crushing black, eyes watching them where they went, always just out of sight. Like they were waiting, but for what, Luz was afraid to know.

No one could say how long they had been walking or how much time had passed since they escaped the zombies and hellhounds. In fact, no one was certain if it was still even nighttime outside. Had time slowed the moment they entered the mansion? Or was it moving at its normal pace? Did the Bewitching Hour mean there was an added hour to this night? The more Luz thought about it, the less it made sense, until she finally had to give up on the idea all together. The only positive thing to their situation was that the palisman, Artemis, seemed to know exactly which turns they had to take, and when they needed to hide.

Just like the Ghost Host had warned them, there were secrets living within the tunnels that Team Owlet did not want to discover. Many times, Artemis would catch Amity’s attention, either by a light nip on her ear or a brush of a paw on her cheek, and they would see the warning in the fox’s eyes. Right then, Luz would dismiss her light glyph, Amity, Boscha and Gus would douse the flames they were carrying, and the group would scatter to the shallow alcoves lining the walls to hide. For a few sickening moments everything would be quiet. Then they would hear it: the slow, spine-tingling noise of footsteps sliding over the damp stones; claws scraping and overturning loose gravel; a hiss of scales cutting across the shallow water flooding the floor; or the soft, inquisitive snarl of a beast.

Time and time again, Luz was thankful she could not see whatever was slinking its way past them, but she was not without her imagination. She remembered the stories she had been told across the fire at summer camp, of the monsters hiding out in the woods waiting for unsuspecting campers to wander out and never be seen again. Just one of the many easy jabs the kids from school took at her, telling her the monsters under the bed and in the closet would love to eat a little girl like her. Because it was the weird ones that were the tastiest.

_Too bad they can’t see me now, living in a world of demons and witches._

Once the nameless creature had gone its way and the silence stretched long enough, Artemis would tell Amity it was safe, and the light from her fire spell signaled to the rest of the team they could move on. Luz always made sure to give the witch space for when she was about to draw her magic, though she found it increasingly harder to release her from her arms.

Each time they had to hide, Luz would grab Amity and tug her to the nearest alcove, where she immediately shielded her from the tunnel, offering her own body as protection should the approaching monster find them. Wrapping her arms tightly around the witch’s narrow waist, Luz would press Amity’s back into the wall to get as far away from the tunnel as they could, but not so much that she would harm her. The very first time it happened, she heard Amity’s breath hitch in her ear and her heart pounding against her chest, but for every time after, she felt Amity’s arms wrap tightly around her body, as if to pull her further in and away from the unknowns hidden within the darkness. Eyes shut tight, they buried their faces in each other’s shoulder, tremors wracking their bodies with pure, unadulterated fear, waiting for it to be safe. It was only the warmth that radiated from Amity’s body and the reassuring arms cradled around her that helped ease the cold that prickled at the back of Luz’s neck like fangs.

As they strained to listen for the latest creature to make its way by them, Luz slowly turned her face from resting on Amity’s shoulder and flinched when her nose brushed smooth skin. Was that her neck? Swallowing, Luz stayed perfectly still, her senses taking in the faint, perfume-like scent she always associated with Amity. Yet this time, in the midst of them avoiding detection of an invisible monster, that familiar smell made her legs turn to jelly. Good grief, what was happening to her? What the heck was Amity thinking right now? The last thing Luz wanted to do was make her friend uncomfortable, and cowering from monsters in the dark was not the place to start to get all swooney! She remembered what happened to those characters in scary movies...it was not pretty. Sometimes funny, in a very dark way, but not pretty. Besides, there was someone else Amity wanted to be with, the unnamed student Grom had become to reflect her fear of rejection. Luz felt her heart clench and held back a sigh. Whoever that had been, it was not her. Feeling Amity’s grip relax on the back of her shirt, Luz slowly pulled away and a burst of magenta flames filled the space between them. Amity’s face shined at her in the off-color fire and Luz felt her mouth go bone-dry as those burning amber eyes locked with her.

“Hey, Blight!”

Amity broke the gaze and looked at Boscha, who was trying to pry herself out from a narrow gap in the wall.

“How much further?”

Those amber eyes darted back to Luz and held for a moment before the witch looked to the fox on her shoulder. “Artemis, are we getting close?” She sighed with relief when the palisman nodded and glanced at the group. “We’re getting there, just a little bit more, then we should be back inside the manor.”

“Thank Titan,” Willow wiped the sweat from her face. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take! When the Ghost Host told us this place would be dangerous, I didn’t think it would be this bad!”

“Let’s just be happy we’ve been able to avoid whatever’s been crawling around here so far.” Turning in the direction Artemis gave, Amity took the lead, pausing only briefly to make sure everyone fell in behind.

Luz followed close beside her, out of reassurance and protection, she told herself. It was not because being anything further than a couple feet from Amity made her anxious or anything like that. No, there were advantages to staying together as a group, and the closer they stuck, the better their chances of survival were. Plus, Artemis now appeared to be happy that Luz was in possession of Rex, though she didn’t understand why. As they walked through the tunnels, the fox and the cobra would carry one what must have been the palisman version of a conversation, when Artemis was not busy guiding Amity on which direction to take. In a very odd way, Luz found the interaction to be kind of cute. Weird, but cute. She wondered why Artemis had acted hostile in the beginning and then changed so quickly. Her best guess was it had to do with Luz demonstrating her ability to stay in sync with the cobra during their fight against the zombies and Aremtis had seen how well she could take care of the magical staff. Even still, she had not expected such a fast turnaround.

Rounding a corner, Artemis made a soft trill and Amity stopped as the fox hopped down from her shoulder and slowly paced about the floor, glowing silver eyes taking in the surrounding details.

“I’m guessing we can take a quick break?” She asked the palisman, to which it chirped. Amity looked back to the team and nodded, though no one needed the encouragement, and plopped down about the tunnel walls eagerly for a short reprieve.

Sighing, Luz slumped forward to lean against Rex like a walking stick and the cobra hissed, his tongue darting out to taste the air. She must have been louder than she intended because Amity was at her side, a hand on her shoulder.

“Luz? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Toting this little goofball around is a lot of work,” she nodded to King cradled in her hoodie. “I gotta say, this is not how I expected the night to go.”

“Funny,” the demon quipped. “It’s exactly how I thought it would go.”

Luz shot him a look before looking back to Amity. “I’m really sorry I dragged you into this, all of you. Eda’s going to kill me when I get back for not finishing my potion run.”

“That shows just how much she cares about you.” King sat up to pat the back of her head. “When Eda wants to murder you, that’s her way of saying she loves you!”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s true.”

“At least you have someone at home to worry about you.”

Luz and King looked at Amity as her eyes dropped to the floor. “All my parents worry about is me holding up the Blight status and walking the family path. If anything, they’ll be upset that I spent the whole night with people whom they wouldn’t deem as ‘the strongest of witches’.” Amity chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Too bad they didn’t get the chance to see us all fighting the undead, that might have changed at least my father’s mind about you - everyone’s strength in magic. But, that’s never going to happen. They’d never be happy with me wasting my time with those they can’t approve of.”

“But,” Luz frowned and glanced at King. “Would you mind giving us a minute?”

The demon squinted at her for a moment, as if debating whether or not to use a snarky remark, then shrugged and with a “weh!” shimmied out of Luz’s hood to drop to the floor and walked over to Artemis. “You, palisman! What say you in joining the King of Demons and his Army of Terrors?”

Snickering, Luz shook her head and returned her attention to Amity. Gently taking her arm, she guided her further down the wall to make space between them and the rest of the group. Resting Rex against the smooth stone, Luz crossed her arms and met those melancholy amber eyes. “Amity, do you really believe that? Because I don’t! You’re not wasting your time with us, and I don’t think Gus, Willow, or King think that either! I’m sure Skara feels the same way, I’m not going to speak for Boscha cuz she’s a bully, but I bet even she would agree with me.”

“No I wouldn’t.”

Luz glared at the three-eyed witch and pointedly turned her back to her. “Look, I know you’ve got a really messy relationship with your parents, but that doesn’t mean you have to think like them! Do you think you’re wasting your time with us?”

“No!” Amity looked up at Luz worriedly. “Of course I don’t think that! Spending time with you is the best thing I could ever do! I love being with you!” Her eyes widened and she clamped her mouth shut as a blush flared across Luz’s face, her own eyes widening in response. “I - I mean - that is - there, there is never a dull moment with you - ” A hand slid into her own and she squeaked when Luz took a step closer. When Amity saw her eyes shining in the light from the glyph floating beside them her ears started to flap.

“What do you mean?”

The question had been spoken so quietly, Amity almost missed it and she frowned. Luz must have read her expression because when she said it again, her tone was stronger.

“What do you mean you ‘love’ being with me?”

Titan, how was she going to get out of this? “Well I,” she stopped when Luz’s face dropped to stare at the floor. “Luz? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, forget I said anything.” Luz released her hand and turned around to look in the direction they had been walking, her arms wrapped tightly around her frame. Amity stood still for a moment, worried she had hurt the human’s feelings and reached for her, until she heard Luz choke back a sob and her hand froze. When Luz turned around to face her, Amity’s heart plummeted at the tears shining in her eyes.

“Luz!” She grabbed her shoulders. “I - I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings!”

“You didn’t.”

That made Amity stop dead and she blinked. “What?”

Luz smiled lightly, covering Amity’s hand with her own.. “It’s just, sometimes I find it hard to believe someone as cool and strong as you would be okay spending time with someone as quirky and weird as me.”

“Luz I - ”

Luz held up a hand to stop her. “Back home, no one wanted to spend time with me, except for Mami. They’d say I was too weird or would find ways to keep me from joining whatever friend circle they had going on. Kids made fun of me because I believed in magic and read books like _The Good Witch Azura_ instead of going out shopping or gossiping about who was dating who. At school, I was constantly teased no one would ever want to go out with me because I’d never be able to make up my mind if I’d want to date a guy or a girl. Mami told me she’d support me no matter what, but even she wanted me to be more normal and tried to send me to that stupid reality check summer camp.” Rubbing her eyes with her palm, Luz looked away to where their friends were resting and sighed. “Willow and Gus were the first kids I met to actually accept me for being who I am. Eda, King, and Hooty, even Lilith, they’ve been the family of weirdos I’ve always wanted. But, you,” she looked back to Amity. “You’re not an outcast. The popular girl, top student, jock, you have everything all the kids back home had that I didn’t. So, hearing you say that you want to spend time with me, despite all that, I want to believe -”

“You want to believe I’m being honest.” Amity did not need to hear that last part, she could read it in those eyes and when Luz nodded, she took a deep breath. She wasn’t ready to try like the Ghost Host had said, but she couldn’t just let herself fail right here and now. Carefully, Amity tightened her grip on Luz’s shoulders, thinking back to their near-moment before the singing busts. “Luz, I may be all those things, but you saw through it to who I truly am. You helped me take off that mask of the popular-top student who only cared about associating with the select few my parents approved of. We may have just survived an army of the undead and a living demon statue, but I didn’t need any of that for you to prove you’re worth being with, or that you’re a powerful witch. Or Willow, or Gus. None of that matters to me. My parents would say I’m wasting my time, but don’t you dare for a second think that’s what I believe. When I said I love being with you,”

Pausing for a second, Amity took a deep breath, hoping her voice would not betray the panic in her heart. “I meant it. I just want to be with you, Luz Noceda. Quirky human weirdo and all. There are so many things I want to tell you, Luz, things that I’m terrified beyond belief you may not like or would hate me for saying, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever find the courage to. But, before this crazy night is over, I can try to show you at least a little bit of what I want to say. I hope you’ll understand what it means.” Before she could stop herself, before the thought of what she was about to do crossed her mind, Amity closed the space between them and pressed a soft, butterfly-like kiss to Luz’s cheek. She ripped herself away and spun to hide her now-blazing face, her hands going to her rapidly twitching ears, and waited.

Luz stood perfectly still, her brain failing to register what had just happened as her hand drifted up to touch the electric tingle over her cheek, blinking in an attempt to restart her thoughts. Amity just kissed her. _Amity_ just kissed _her_. Luz Noceda. Sure, it had been a peck on the cheek and not the romantic weak-in-the-knees heart stopper, but still, it was a kiss. From Amity. Popular, top student at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Blinking rapidly, Luz shook her head and carefully leaned her shoulder against the wall for support. Now where the heck did that come from? Air suddenly hissed out from the side and the next thing Luz knew, the wall she was leaning on shifted and pulled away, leaving nothing but gravity to take over.

Hearing the startled yelp followed by a grunt of pain, Amith whirled around and everyone looked up in time to watch Luz disappear sideways through the hole that had opened in the wall. For a moment everyone stayed perfectly still until they heard Luz’s voice waver out from the darkness.

“...No really, I’m fine, thanks for asking…” Holding her head, Luz sat up and took Amity’s hand when she offered it to help her stand.

“Luz!” Willow and Gus jogged to them and peered into the opened space. “What the heck happened?”

“I don’t know,” Luz rubbed the back of her head, ruffling her hair. Amity had to fight the urge to fix it. “I just leaned against the wall and it ran away.” A chirp at her feet made them all look down to see Artemis trot up to the secret entrance and sniff it delicately. The fox’s tail bushed out and let out a loud trill before rushing into the darkness, forcing Luz to quickly activate a light glyph and hurry in after the palisman. “Well now, this is interesting.”

The room was small, roughly half the size of Luz’s room back at the Owl House. A narrow cot had been shoved up against the far side of the space and a long desk took up an entire section, completely littered with papers that were all covered in dust. Sconces had been wedged into the numerous cracks in between the stone bricks that made up the walls, but not a single one showed any sign of burn marks from fire. Luz leaned in to check one and her eyes widened to see a very familiar glyph carved onto the round stub. When she tapped it, a flame burst to life. Someone else before her had been studying glyph magic on the island.

“Hey, Amity? Do you still have Chiaro’s journal?”

Amity drew a spell circle and the leather-bound journal dropped into her hand. Luz took the journal and walked to the now-burning torch, quickly flipping through the pages.

“Luz, what are you looking for?”

“This room, I think it belonged to Chiaro. He must have been using it as some sort of hideout to study magic!” Catching a page with her finger, Luz held up the book and scanned the words. “Here! He was assigned to a group of servants to deal with the monsters that had taken over the tunnels beneath the manor. They were ambushed and he and Mezzanotte found this room to hide in, along with the servants who managed to escape. He doesn’t say what attacked them, he never wrote down the name. But, after he asked about learning magic, Mezzanotte took him down here to study.”

“But,” Skara frowned. “Why go here where they almost died?” By then the rest of the group had made their way into the narrow room, and Luz shook her head.

“It’s not really clear, something about Mezzanotte knowing how to ‘read the shadows’ to know where to go? Anyways, she would teach him how magic worked and it was during the ambush with the monster Chiaro saw his first glyph: fire. Later on, he and Emilia would sneak down here and,” Luz’s face went bright pink and she skimmed through the pages, clearing her throat. “Moving on. The last few pages, he talks about whatever Mezzanotte was working on with Damien and Astor, combining necromancy with demonic summonings. But, he also talks about a new glyph that Mezzanotte was helping him with, one that he was going to use to help Emilia run away with him.”

“What about the token of love?” Amity glanced down at the foregin words. “Does he talk about that?”

Luz frowned and turned the page. “Not really, which is kinda weird, since he wanted to propose to her. You’d think he’d talk about it for pages, but instead it’s like he skipped that whole part of his plan.”

Pushing through the papers scattered about the desk, Gus picked one up that instantly crumbled between his fingers. “Fascinating that there was another human to travel to the Boiling Isles and learn magic like you! I’m surprised the history books don’t have any record of it.”

“I’m not,” Willow adjusted her glasses and looked around the room. “If Chiaro was learning in secret, then how would anyone know what he was up to? Plus, the Pandors were a very influential family, the fact so little is known about what happened to them is proof enough they were able to keep a lid on everything.”

Looking down at the journal in her hands, Luz flipped through a few more pages, taking in the memories of a human who had walked a very similar path as she, but whose life had ended in tragedy. Secretly, she wished she could have met Chiaro, even just to connect with someone who could understand how she felt. Maybe even find out if, despite the odds, was it possible a human and a witch could be together? She looked up at that idea and shook her head, bringing that particular train of thought to a screeching halt. _No, don’t go there Luz. Don’t make any assumptions about what Amity said or did. A lot of crazy things have happened here tonight, she probably just meant it as a friend_. That was a lie, but she did not want to go any further. Still, Luz wanted to do something for Chiaro, something to help at least feel like she could honor his memory if she would never meet his ghost. Turning to the desk, Luz walked over to it and set the leather journal down on the smooth wood.

“Descansa en paz, Chiaro.” Sighing, Luz picked up Rex and smiled at her friends. “Let’s go, we still have to find a way out of here and I’m guessing we’re close.”

Nodding, Amity walked over to the narrow cot where Artemis had curled up and carefully picked up the fox. “Come on Artemis, we’d better get going.” She pulled back when the fox growled softly and settled further down on the bed, tucking its nose under the pillow. “Artemis?” Amity lifted the pillow to peer at the palisman’s face when something caught her eyes; a piece of paper folded neatly just beneath the fox’s chin. Carefully, Amity tugged it out from under Artemis and the fox scaled her arm to curl around her neck, letting out a soft whine as she unfolded it. “Oh wow,” she breathed.

It was a pencil sketch of two people whom she recognized as Emilia and Chiaro, standing together as if they were dancing. They certainly appeared to be dressed for one, Emilia had been drawn with a beautiful, yet simple, ball gown and Chiaro in a plain tuxedo. Despite it being a basic sketch, Amity could see the artist had captured the pure love and adoration that radiated from the couple as they held each other in mid-step. The same dark smudge Amity had seen in Emilia’s hair back in the foyer portrait had been colored in, though now it reminded her of her own amber roots showing through the green dye in her hair.

_Wait, did Emilia’s parents force her to color her hair too?_ Amity recalled in the portrait Astor’s hair was pitch black while Ophelia’s hair was platinum blond, and she shuddered. Could this parallel get any more creepy?

Not much had been done to detail the background for the sketch, only a soft coloring of what was presumably the night sky with a full moon and stars hanging over the couple. On the bottom right hand corner of the page was a single sentence scribble in a language that Amity was dumbfounded to realize was one she actually had studied: Shadow Script. It was a very old language, one once used by the Greater Demons of the Boiling Isles, nothing more than a series of lines and shapes to the untrained eye, but to Amity, it was perfectly clear.

**Whatever it takes.**

“Amity? You ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Amity looked at Artemis and folded the paper back up, tucking it into her pocket and turned to Luz. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s get out of here.”

Luz had taken the glyph torch from its sconce and Amity followed her out of Chiaro’s hideaway and back into the tunnels where everyone waited.

“Okay Artemis,” Luz glanced at the fox. “Where to next?”

A loud yip cut the air, making everyone jump at the volume and they stared at the fox. Artemis blinked and shook its head as if to say “That was not me.” The yip came again, the sound bouncing off the walls, and everyone looked around. Frowning, Luz turned in the direction from which the noise came and looked at Amity.

“I didn’t know you guys had coyotes on the Boiling Isles?” She looked up when the yip repeated itself and stared down the tunnel from where they had come. The water at the end of the turn rippled from the movement of the approaching creature and a shadow fell across the wall. A long, low snarl rolled through the tunnel as the shadow advanced and its owner turned the corner. All of the blood drained from Luz’s face and the air in her lungs vanished. “That’s...that’s not a coyote…”

The monster’s girth took up most of the tunnel, its muscles rippling like water beneath the greenish-grey hide stretched across its frame as it crawled slowly towards the petrified group. To say it was watching them like a predator studying its prey was an understatement, mostly because it was hard to tell just who it was looking at. A multitude of eyes covered its hulking back and shoulders, while its wide mouth hung open to reveal rows upon rows of jagged fangs. A stream of drool slid down from its thin lips and dribbled into the water. Long, lean arms carried it forward as a gorilla walking on its knuckles, only, this creature kept its fingers splayed out to show its claws that gleamed in the flickering light. Along its underbelly were a dozen, pincer-sharp appendages that stroked the air like the legs of a lobster, hugging its abdomen. It let out another yip-like call and ran a massive tongue over its flattened face.

From the staff, Rex let out a warning hiss and Artemis growled, wrapping tighter around Amity’s shoulders.

“L-Luz, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but we need to need to go before that thing gets us.”

Luz swallowed as she slowly began to back away, her eyes not leaving the stalking creature. “And...what is that thing?”

Hands shaking, Amity slowly traced a spell circle by her thigh, hoping the beast would not see her actions. “That’s a shoggoth.” She felt the spell ignite in her hand and, grasping the glowing magic, Amity pulled back her arm. “Everyone, duck!” The ball of flames sailed through the air and hit the monster in its face, exploding in a bright flash of heat and light. Shrieking, the shoggoth clutched its face and collapsed to the watery floor. Amity grabbed Luz’s arm and spun around to the darkness ahead.

“RUN!”

Team Owlet ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chills, emotional feels, and a cliffhanger...*Insert Ghost Host’s laughter*  
> For any of you wondering, I based this incarnation of the shoggoth from HBO’s Lovecraft Country. Hope you all enjoyed it, and I’ll see you in the next chapter!


	10. Skeletons in the Closet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still amazed how many of you are pulling for Ghost Host to be an ally, and love that you’re guessing their identity. It’s honestly because of you guys this character became who they are now, and I am sincerely grateful for your support. Thank you!

In all honesty, Luz was surprised she hadn’t actually died yet during her time on the Boiling Isles. There had been so many times where she legitimately thought she was going to be crushed, eaten, burned, dropped, or strangled, most of which would have been Eda’s responsibility, but she always managed to make it out at just the right time. Even while facing off against Emperor Belos, Luz wondered whatever star it was she had been born under to warrant her with such dumb luck commonly found in the heroes she cheered for. Now, running through pitch-black tunnels with a monster straight out of a Lovecraftian horror novel, Luz was sincerely hoping she still had a glimmer of that luck to save her own, and everyone else’s butts, from being munched alive.

The shoggoth screeched as it chased after the fleeing witchlings, panting loudly and snapping at their heels whenever it got too close for comfort. It was fast, faster than the zombies they had faced earlier, faster even than the hellhounds that had chased them to the gate. Its claws tore at the slicked stone walls, kicking up water and chucks of concrete in its attempts to swipe at its prey, every single one of its eyes trained on them as they ran. There just was no escaping the beast.

Skidding as she rounded a corner, Luz ripped out her glyph pad and tore one out, slapping the paper and hurling it to the floor. Ice erupted along the shallow water before her and she took a running leap to skid over it like a frozen slip-n-slide. Thankfully there was no explaining on her part, the second her friends saw what she was doing they followed suit. The only unlucky one, luckily, was the shoggoth, its clawed hands shooting out from beneath it as it fell and smacked its chin on the solid ice.

“Come on!” Luz yelled, jumping off the ice and pulling Amity to her feet.

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

The shoggoth’s roar made them jolt and Luz shook her head. “No, but I’ll take any place that doesn’t have that thing in it!”

When they felt they had put enough distance between themselves and the monster, they slipped into a side-tunnel and stopped. Gasping, Luz propped her shoulder against Rex’s staff and looked at her friends. Gus and Willow had their backs to the wall, chests heaving, while Boscha and Skara were using each other to hold themselves up. King was shaking in her hoodie, too frightened of the pursuing monster to even make one snarky remark. She glanced at Amity and saw she was looking down the tunnel, going between the way they had been running and where they had come. The ice floor had bought them a few precious moments, but not their escape.

“We have to find a way out of here, and fast.”

“I’m starting to think that’s what Chiaro was writing about,” Luz winced when she stood up and heard her spine pop. “Too bad we don’t have Mezzanotte with us to ‘read the shadows’ or whatever the heck it was she did.”

“No,” Amity looked at the fox wrapped around her shoulders and leaned against the wall. “But, we have Artemis and Rex, and our magics. We’ll find a way out of here, we just have to be careful.” A frown creased Amity’s face and she glanced down the tunnel, her ears twitching slightly. Luz would have squealed at the cuteness of the motion, but the fear dawning on Amity’s face made her stomach churn. “Luz, do you hear that?”

Luz blinked and listened, seeing her surrounding friends freeze in place. She heard the sound of water dripping, their hushed breaths that they were fighting to calm, and the soft hiss of Rex’s tongue tasting the air. Only one thing was missing. _The shoggoth_. A thick drop of water splattered her bangs and Luz slowly craned her neck to look up at the wide fang-filled mouth opened above her, drooling, and the clawed hand raised overhead.

“LUZ!!!”

Everything happened at once. Luz spun on her heel to lift Rex up as the shoggoth brought down its claws, only for a body to crash into her from the side. The scream that filled the tunnel pierced her like a lightning bolt to the heart. Voices yelled and a barrage of magic flew through the air to crash against the shoggoth’s body, eliciting a shriek of pain as Team Owlet sprang to action. The strangest part to Luz was that during all of this, she could only hear the blood roaring in her ears, probably from her head hitting the stone floor. When Luz found the strength to sit up from the shallow water, she felt a pressure across her legs as if something had been laid over them. Wincing, Luz tenderly rubbed at the sore spot where her head hurt and looked down.

Amity lay over her thighs face-down, trying her best to push herself to her feet, but her right arm shook from the effort. Just as her arms gave out, Luz caught her and held the witch up to stare at her in open wonder. Did she really just shove her out of the way? Her eyes then spotted a line of bright crimson sliding down Amity’s arm and she followed the stream up the muscles rippling beneath pale skin to a long slash trailing from the meaty part of her shoulder to just over her collarbone, her black shirt sleeve ripped apart. Amity had taken the shoggoth’s attack for her. The faint shriek of the shoggoth twitched at Luz’s attention, but her focus stayed entirely on Amity and the increasingly bleeding injury. Moving as delicately as she could, Luz shifted Amity off her lap and helped her lean on the wall where Artemis settled by her hand.

“King,” Luz’s voice was as steady as the surface of an untouched lake. “I need you to stay with Amity.” She barely waited for the demon to leap out of her hoodie before she grasped the bottom half of the shirt and tore.

Blinking slowly, Amity watched as Luz ripped the lower hem of her hoodie into a long strip of fabric, pulling apart the shredded remains of her sleeve sticking to the bloodied wound. “Luz? What are you doing?” She grimaced when Luz wrapped the fabric around the gash and pushed at her. “Luz, I’m fine! We need to stop that thing!”

“No.” Luz pressed a hand to the witch’s chest so she would remain sitting. “I’m going to stop it. You’re staying here.”

“Luz,” Amity winced. “That’s a shoggoth! It can’t be beaten with a few simple glyphs and a palisman! Groups of witches have been torn to shreds by those things! You can’t fight it!”

“Just try me. Now stay put,” A small smile tugged at the corner of Luz’s lips. “You’ll only get hurt.” She met Amity’s wide eyes and, lifting her chin with a finger, pressed a kiss to the witch’s forehead. The sound that came from Amity’s mouth was a cross between a squeak and a gasp. Luz smiled at her softly before grasping Rex’s staff and spinning around, her eyes hardening to a glare at the monster beating back her friends. “Okay Rex, show me what you got.”

The cobra hissed eagerly and Luz stepped forward, her hand fisting over the glyph papers she had pulled from her pocket. She side-stepped when the shoggoth tossed Willow and Guss back, dropping plant glyphs that sprouted thick beds of flowers to catch them. When Skara was thrown straight at her, Luz slapped a glyph to the wall and a curtain of vines snared the stunned Bard girl. She watched the shoggoth grab Boscha and slam her back against the wall, growling as it slowly leaned in to have a taste. Hearing Rex hiss, Luz gripped the staff and felt the magic pulse from the palisman into her arm and she held up before her.

“Hey! Ugly!”

Both Boscha and the shoggoth turned to look at her.

“Say cheese!”

Admonished by the words, Boscha caught the hint and shut her peepers as light erupted from Rex’s mouth, blinding the shoggoth’s many eyes and it released its hold on the witchling, stumbling back on its hind legs as it tried to swipe away the burning in its vision. Luz ran at the monster, tossing glyphs left and right, hammering it with fire, thorny vines, and ice, her eyes not leaving her target. Howling, the shoggoth dropped to all fours and shook its head in an attempt to clear away the dots it no doubt was currently blinded by, and snapped wildly at the air. Luz jumped back and grasped the staff in both hands, slamming the butt of it on the floor. Rex’s mouth snapped open and the same stream of power from earlier shot out to ram the shoggoth in the face, a swirling mass of dark lavender dotted by what looked like tiny stars, hurling it down the tunnel.

This was no longer about escaping the shoggoth, it was about making sure it couldn’t harm anyone ever again. Luz continued her advance on the monster, side-stepping its claws and teeth, hitting it with any glyph she could grab or spell Rex was able to summon. Somewhere at the back of her mind she realized she was no longer even thinking of what she was doing, just acting by pure instinct, like her fight against Belos. Only this time, it was not the freedom of her mentor on the line, it was the fact someone she cared about, who had no reason to care about her back but did, had sacrificed herself to protect Luz. There was more to what Amity had said to her in the tunnels, hidden truths that frightened her should they come to light. Ducking under the shoggoth’s claws, Luz slapped a glyph to the floor and a block of ice rose up, vaulting the monster to the ceiling before breaking and leaving the creature to collapse. A kiss on the cheek, that was how Amity chose to end the conversation. Maybe it had been a hopeful act on Luz’s part to kiss her back, but she felt it worth the risk. She wanted to know more about what Amity was telling her. She wanted to know how the youngest Blight really felt about her, and if, just if, she felt the same way about her too.

_But right now, I’ve got a monster to slay._

Luz swung Rex in an underarching sweep that knocked the shoggoth’s arms out from beneath it and whirled around, smacking it in the side with another funnel of the starry-magic, breaking a few pincer-fingers off its stomach in the process.

Shrieking, the shoggoth sailed down the darkness and slid to a halt by sinking its claws into the floor. Something about the way its back feet faltered made Luz frown and she tossed a light glyph into the air to hover above the shoggoth’s head. She had not realized their fight had left the narrow tunnel and they now stood in a large room filled with steps weaving all about the space, leading to different open doorways, save for one that sat above the rest, a heavy wooden door shut tight.

_The way out._

Luz looked back to the shoggoth to see it had stopped from falling down the darkened well the stairs wove around, and it was hunched in on itself, watching her, waiting for the next attack. It opened its mouth to let out a deep snarl and Luz held up Rex’s staff. She could hear the sound of her friends approaching in the distance, which meant the shoggoth could too, and it wanted to finish what it started.

“That’s not going to happen tonight, you Lovecraft freak!”

Those words must have been a deeper insult than she intended, because the shoggoth shot at her like it had been launched from a cannon, tackling Luz to the floor, knocking Rex from her hand. Gasping, Luz barely had time to jerk to the side as the shoggoth’s teeth raked the floor where she had been, its screams tearing apart her eardrums. Shoving her fingers into her pocket, Luz yanked out the first glyph she could grab and slapped it against the side of the shoggoth’s face. Flower petals and vines exploded from the slimy skin, not what she had in mind, but it was the distraction Luz needed and she rolled out from beneath the howling beast as it stumbled back on its hind legs, trying to rip out the flowers growing from its head. Scooping Rex up from the floor, Luz spun on her heel and, with every ounce of magic she hoped lay deep down inside her somewhere, fired. The stream of lavender magic crashed into the shoggoth’s chest, lifting it up off the floor to hover over the expanse of stairs and void. Luz had expected gravity to be what would pull the creature down, but she was taken aback when the darkness itself rose up from the well and snared the shoggoth’s heels, snapping it down into the nothingness, silencing it mid-howl. Then, everything was quiet. Luz felt her body shake and her legs gave out, her knees hitting the floor as her vision wavered and the room rose up around her. For a fleeting moment as Luz struggled to keep her eyes open, she saw something crawl up from the darkness and look at her with glowing gold and red eyes, and her vision went black.

A warm hand was on her cheek, stroking her face delicately with a thumb, the back of her head cradled in something too soft to be the floor. She felt fingers gently combing through her hair, careful to avoid the throbbing lump where she must have fallen over and hit her head. Her left cheek stung slightly, the skin felt raw and hot in the cool air, but the stroking fingers brushed over it like a balm. When Luz opened her eyes, Amity’s upside-down face was the first thing to fill her vision. Never before had she been happier to see mint-green and amber. 

“Hey, Amity.”

“Luz!” Amity sighed with relief as she smiled down at the human. “Thank Titan you’re awake! How did you beat the shoggoth?”

“Used some simple glyphs and a palisman.” Wincing, Luz started to sit up, but Amity guided her down, resting her head on her lap. “Take it easy, I swear to Titan you’re going to be the death of me.”

Realizing she didn’t have the strength to argue, Luz settled back down and chuckled. She could see Willow and Gus sitting not too far away, King curled up in the plant witch’s lap. Luz could not see Skara or Boscha, but she heard their voices echoing from the tunnel. “What happened?”

“After you ran off,” Amity rested her hands on her thighs. “Willow finished bandaging my shoulder and Artemis cast a minor healing spell that helped stop the bleeding.” She turned so Luz could see the white fabric from her hoodie secured around the injury, the remains of her sleeve hanging about her arm. “It took us a little while to catch up with you, even after all the noise the shoggoth was making.”

“You guys didn’t get lost?” Luz realized with a start she couldn’t remember the turns she had taken while fighting the shoggoth, only that she had been following where it went.

Amity shook her head. “No, it was one single tunnel, there were no turns or corners, or any other monsters to ambush us. By the time we found you, the shoggoth was gone and you were passed out.” The sight of Luz collapsing in a heap on the cold stone floor had stopped Amity’s heart and it was only when she heard the human’s shallow breaths did she remember to take her own. Pulling her eyes away, Amity looked around the space. “Where is the shoggoth?”

“What?” Luz grunted to sit up. “It was pulled into the stairwell by the darkness.” Her arms shook and Amity helped support her back to stay upright, but when Luz saw the room, she stopped.

There was no stairwell, no steps weaving around to a multitude of doors, no darkness rising up from the space, and no shoggoth. Just a flat stone floor with four tunnel entrances going out to the Pandor family secrets and one staircase leading up to a door.

“Luz?” Amity watched her with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“The room changed.” Luz turned around to face Amity. “When I was fighting the shoggoth, there were stairs all over the place, and this super spooky stairwell full of darkness. I used Rex’s magic to knock the shoggoth over the side, but then these shadows came out and pulled it in. I think before I passed out I saw one that had glowing eyes.” She looked at Amity and could see the witch studying her carefully and shoved her bangs back from her face. They were starting to get too long for her. “I’m not making this up, Amity! It really happened!”

Sighing, Amity stopped Luz’s wrist and pulled her arm down. “I know Luz, this place is getting stranger by the minute. Honestly, I’m just happy that you’re okay. I mean,” she looked away to hide her blush. “We all are, we were worried about you when you started to fight that thing single-handedly. Please promise you won’t do that again?” She felt a hand on her cheek and her breath hitched when Luz turned her head to meet her eyes.

“As long as you promise you won’t take another shoggoth claw for me. Why do you think I went after it in the first place?” Her eyes reflected the orb of light hanging over them that Amity had cast earlier.

Swallowing, Amity could only stare back at the human, knowing they were not alone, but something about that did not bother her. Leaning into Luz’s palm, Amity covered her hand with her own and smiled. “You really are my fearless champion, aren’t you?”

Luz grinned. “You’re worth it.” She rubbed her thumb against Amity’s cheek, feeling the comforting warmth radiate from the green-haired witch, and felt an ear flick when her fingers brushed it. How could such a powerful witch, who had everything she could ever need in life be so content with a plain, weirdo of a human being like her? Why did that thought send Luz’s heart skipping like a rock over a pond? It was cold where they were, yet Luz had never been warmer.

“Hey, Amity?”

“Yes?”

“What you said to me earlier, before the shoggoth attacked, that there were things you wanted to tell me but you’re afraid of how I’ll react?” Luz watched the fear dart behind Amity’s eyes. She hated seeing those warm eyes darken, but took a breath and continued. “I just want you to know that whenever you are ready to tell me, I’ll be ready to listen. I know you said you’re scared, but I don’t want you to be. Whatever it is, I trust you and I know you’d never try to hurt me. Like I hope you know I’d never hurt you.”

“Maybe you can start by not fighting solo against a shoggoth.” Amity said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luz giggled and nodded. “Okay. But you have to stop shoving me out of harm’s way, cuz now I owe you for two things: the grudgby incident and the shoggoth attack.” She pulled her hand from Amity’s face and held it up. “Deal?”

Amity looked down at the hand and at Luz. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and closed her fingers around the human’s in a firm grip. “Deal.”

Bolstered by their words and the high from fighting the shoggoth, Luz leaned in closer to Amity, almost sending the witchling into hysterics with her grin. “Wanna seal it with a kiss? To keep up with the theme of the night.” Her grin dropped when Amity toppled back, her eyes blank and face red as a tomato. “Amity? Amity!”

From across the room, King shook his head and snuggled deeper into Willow. “Whelp, looks like Luz finally killed Amity.”

“What?” Willow and Gus said in unison, looking up to watch Luz prop Amity up and attempt to fan her awake. Coming to the realization of what really happened, Willow covered her mouth to keep from giggling while Gus just frowned.

“I don’t get it, why would you say that?”

“Because now Eda owes me twenty snails.”

“Hey, dingbats!”

They all looked up as Skara and Boscha exited the tunnel, the hatchet sitting on the three-eyed witch’s shoulder.

“We getting out of here tonight or what?” Boscha side-glanced at Luz and Amity. “Ugh, can’t you two go five minutes without giving each other conniptions?” 

Sighing, Luz picked up Rex and used the staff for support as she slowly pulled Amity to her feet. They would continue their discussion later. A chirp came from the floor as Artemis trotted up to Amity and scaled her leg to settle around her shoulders, careful to avoid the bandaged wound. Grouped back together, Team Owlet shuffled to the single set of steps and up to the door.

“Ten snails this may be locked,” Luz said, jiggling the door handle when it did not budge. “Yup, it’s locked. Any ideas how to -”

Boscha plunged the hatchet into the thick wood over the handle and yanked it back. “What?” She asked when everyone stared at her. “You got a better idea?” No one objected so Boscha continued, quickly reducing the door to a pile of splinters as she cut around the handle. Finally, the team heard hinges creak and the door popped open.

Cautiously, Luz pushed it open and stuck her head through the frame. “Heeere’s Luzy!”

“What?”

Luz sighed and shoved the damaged door all the way open. “Never mind.” She had not taken two steps before something cold and hard poked her in the forehead, making her stumble back at the sound of glass rattling. “What the?”

Light orbs quickly drifted up to illuminate a room that Luz had to guess was an old wine cellar. Rows upon rows of bottles stacked in shelves lined the room, each one endcapped by a large wooden barrel. There was more than enough space for the entire group to spread out, but no one dared to separate further than a couple feet from each other. Over the shelves, Luz could see what looked like a viewing platform of sorts and just behind it was another door. She was starting to come to the conclusion this place was bigger than Blight Manor, or more than likely it was enchanted to have this many rooms. Feeling Amity close by, Luz reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Nothing made sense about this place anymore and Luz wanted some sort of comfort or reassurance everything would be okay. She only hoped Eda wasn’t too worried for her, she felt bad enough for abandoning her potion run when she did. Had that really been just this afternoon?

A light flitted above and Luz stopped. She didn’t recognize that hue of blue-green darting about the rows. None of her friends' magic were that color. Tightening her grip on Rex, Luz inched in the direction of the light as Amity waved to get everyone’s attention. There was no point in trying to hush them, no one had dared to speak. The light shot into a row and Luz flattened her back against the side of the shelf. It was probably just a harmless happy haunt wandering around, yet Luz was not about to take any chances. Her nerves were tuned so tight, it felt like all of her senses were on overload. Which meant absolutely nothing could catch her off guard. She was ready for anything.

“ _Hello?_ ”

Team Owlet screamed and sprang straight up into the air, feet pedaling as they scurried to hide behind whatever available cover they could find. Luz cannonballed into what was thankfully an empty wine barrel, sighing with relief, then realized Rex’s head was sticking out the top. Yanking her hoodie over her head, Luz watched the strange hue of light drift to hover over her barrel.

It made a sound like it was clearing its throat. “ _Pardon me, but, why are you hiding in a barrel?_ ” The voice was decidedly male, soft, and held a proper note to it. Very much the opposite from the Ghost Host’s deep, unidentifiable tone. “ _I didn't mean to frighten you and your friends. Are you alright?_ ”

Slowly, Luz stood up in the barrel and stared at the spirit orb with wide eyes. She had a feeling this one was not the ghost ball that had helped Willow and Boscha earlier, and it definitely was not the Ghost Host. She glanced over to see her friends peeping out from their hiding places, spotting Amity crouched behind another barrel, King clinging to her head like a beanie.

“I, um, we’ve been better. Had to escape a shoggoth and some zombies.”

“ _Oh my, I was wondering why you came from the Pandor family crypt._ ” The spirit orb bobbled back as Luz climbed out of the barrel. “ _They certainly had a flare for the dramatic and never liked entertaining the thought of others sneaking about their secrets. Very impressive of you all to have made it out. The Pandors made many a deal with the devils of our world, and some have been waiting a long time to collect._ ”

Luz gulped, scooting around the spirit orb and back until she could feel her friends behind her. The spirit must have sensed their discomfort because it shivered in place and drifted away.

“ _Please, you need not be afraid of me, I assure you I will not cause you any harm. It’s been such a long time since I have seen a fellow witch_.”

Amity gripped the back of Luz’s torn shirt and stepped forward. Around her neck, Artemis was huddled as if to hide beneath her hair, the bushy white tail hanging down between her shoulder blades. “Who are you? The only ghost we’ve actually met here is the Ghost Host. Do you know where we can find them?”

“ _The Ghost Host?_ ” The spirit orb slipped sideways in the air. “ _I’m afraid that they may not be the one you want to seek out, not after everything I’m sure you’ve witnessed. Quite frankly, I’m amazed you all are still of the living._ ”

A soft hiss came from Rex’s staff, but Luz ignored it. “Why do you say that?”

“ _If you came from the tunnels, then that means you must have entered through the mausoleum. There were traps laid there to stop intruders from stealing any valuables left for the dead, and the greatest one was a statue built by Astor himself of a powerful demon known as -”_

“The Nowhere Demon?” Gus interjected.

The spirit flitted to the witch. “ _Yes, how did you know?_ ”

Gus summoned the demon book and held it up for the spirit to see.

“ _Clever one, aren’t you? Yes, the Nowhere Demon. When the curse was enacted, Astor made one final summoning ritual to call upon a creature that would maintain the spirits and keep them, and his mansion, in order, regardless of the curse being lifted. It was his last act of trying to assert control over his little dominion._ ”

Rex was now hissing loudly, tugging Luz’s arms as if attempting to get her attention. All she could do was stand there, processing the words that swarmed her thoughts. No, no, it couldn’t be true. The Nowhere Demon and the Ghost Host? It didn’t make sense!

“How do you know all this?” Amity’s voice cut through the buzzing in Luz’s head as she tightened her grip on her shirt. “Why come to us and tell us this now? Who are you to know this information?”

“ _Because I’m-_ ”

A low groan rolled through the cellar that quickly turned into a gutteral snarl, shaking the bottles in the racks and making the stones in the floor tremble. The group watched as their shadows slid behind them and slowly climbed the wall. Luz stared open-mouthed as the shadows coalesced into the very familiar shape of a horned figure with glowing eyes of gold and red and the suggestion of wings unfurling from its back.

The kids screamed and ran from the towering shadow, darting around the shelves as more shade-like creatures appeared on the floor and walls, reaching for them with clawed fingers. Taking out a wad of light glyphs, Luz tugged at her hoodie and slapped her hands together, hurling the papers at every shadow that moved. The room shook from the explosion of magic and the shelves began to toppled on themselves, sending shards of glass everywhere. All the while, the massive silhouette watched without any sign of action.

“ _This way!_ ” The spirit orb called as the door on the platform opened.

Luz sprinted up the steps, looking over her shoulder to see everyone close behind her, grabbing hold of Amity’s hand when she held it out. The pursuing shadows let out howls like wind as the team shoved through the door and Willow slammed it shut.

“ _Follow me!_ ”

They ran after the spirit orb through the halls of the mansion, not stopping until they came to a section of the house that appeared to be a residential wing, and stopped to collapse in an exhausted pile.

“Luz,” Boscha wheezed. “The next time we come across a haunted mansion and a ghost asks us to break a curse, I’m using your head for a grudgby ball.”

Luz could only wave dismissively at the threat and slumped against the wall, her lungs burning from having to run for her life, literally, for what felt like the hundredth time. She was really getting tired of this. “Amity? You alright?” She turned her head when the green-haired witch touched the bandage on her shoulder and winced.

“I’ll be okay. Are you okay?”

“I’d ask for a kiss to make it better, but,” Luz whispered, lightly bumping Amity’s uninjured shoulder. “I don’t want you to faint on me again.”

Amity went pink in the face. “I-I did not faint! You just startled me! Besides, where is this coming from all of a sudden?” She squeaked when Luz leaned in, her teasing tone dropping.

“What? Afraid I’ll give you a heart attack if I get too close?” Luz frowned at the near-petrified look she was getting and pulled back. “Sorry Amity, I was just trying to make you smile. When you kissed me back in the tunnels, I didn’t know what to do. I’ve always thought of you as a friend,”

“That’s why you kissed me back? Because you see me as a friend?”

Luz noted the cautious look Amity was giving her, like someone bracing for unfortunate news. She knew she would have to choose her next words very carefully. “Well, honestly, at first that’s what I thought. You’re the one who's got it made, I’m a quirky human dork who shouldn’t even be here. But, for some reason, you always stick by my side.”

Chuckling, Amity turned to face Luz completely and slipped her hand under the cat-eared hoodie, running a thumb over the scrape on Luz’s cheek. “Yeah, because you’re my dork.” The tips of her ears burned at the word choice and she swallowed.

“But why?” Luz stared back at her. “Why do I feel like there’s something more than friendship between us? What if,” she scooted closer to Amity. “One of us thinks that we could be more?”

It was only from the act of sheer willpower Amity did not begin hyperventilating, and even still, she had to take a minute to compose herself. “If that’s true, then they’d have to find a way to say it.” She felt Luz take her hand and interlock their fingers.

“What if they can’t find a way to say it?”

“Well then,” Amity leaned closer. “Their actions will have to speak louder than their words.”

Luz sighed and thought back to a pink slip of paper torn in half, one Amity had denied her from reading. Those actions right there spoke volumes to her, and it was not a message she liked hearing. “But, what if the person they like likes someone else?”

Amity’s eyes widened and she released her hand from Luz’s grip. “What do you mean?”

“ _Pardon me,_ ”

The two girls pulled apart as the spirit orb floated up to them. “ _If you feel rested enough, I can lead you and your friends to somewhere where you’ll be safe for the duration of the night._ ”

“Actually,” Luz glanced at Amity. “We were kinda in the middle of something,”

“Yes!” Amity jumped to her feet, startling Luz. “We’ll be happy to have a secure hiding place.”

“ _Well then, please, allow me to escort you._ ” The spirit orb drifted on down the hallway and Team Owlet clambered to their feet to follow.

Luz jogged to catch up with Amity, but every time she tried to catch her eyes, the witch would look away. After the third or fourth failure to get her attention, Luz sighed and fell back in step with Willow.

“Luz? What’s wrong?”

The human shook her head, her eyes on the dust-covered rug. They followed the spirit orb in silence as it led them down the hallway and to a set-up not too different from what Luz and Amity had seen in Emilia’s wing, aside from a few minor differences. Instead of the silver and purple color pattern, this hall was a deep rusty-red and silver, black swirling through as the offset. When the door at the end of the hall opened, the team found themselves in a large bedroom with a four-poster bed, seating area, and a paper-covered desk. As the spirit drifted to the seating area, the fireplace burst to life, warming the room with a cozy feeling.

“ _Please make yourselves comfortable, you all clearly are exhausted._ ” The spirit hovered over the seat of a well-worn armchair.

Hugging Rex to her chest, Luz shuffled over to the desk and glanced down at the papers. Just like Chiaro’s, every square inch of the surface was covered in sheets with spell formulas and languages she could not even begin to understand. A book lay open in the center and, when she closed it to read the title, she saw it was an unabridged version of the Book of the Dead.

“ _I’m certain by now you all are wanting to know my identity in the matter of this curse and the mansion?_ ” There was no verbal answer, but the silence was all the affirmation the spirit seemed to need. “ _I take it you are familiar with the story of the Pandor family curse and how it came to be?_ ”

“Emilia Pandor was in love with a human servant,” Amity said slowly. “But her parents had selected a fiance for her, a witch from a family of necromancers. He was a close friend to the human and accused the Pandors of murdering him.”

“ _Yes indeed. And, do you know the name of the fiance?_ ”

“Damien Pluto,” Luz said, turning around slowly to stare at the spirit orb. “Is that you?”

The spirit orb bobbed slowly and began to brighten, its light taking the shape of a male witch figure sitting in the chair it hovered over. Arms and legs grew from the ghost ball, dressed in a pair of what looked like fine slacks and a silk shirt, a tight-fighting waistcoat over it, and a cravat tucked over the chest. The witch’s face was handsome, not arrogantly so, just enough to leave the viewer wondering what thoughts were going through his mind. His hair, a very pale tone, had been combed to the side, and his eyes scanned the surprised group before settling on Luz and Amity.

“ _Yes, I am Damien Pluto. It truly is a pleasure to meet you all._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah...those of you guessing Damien was the Ghost Host? Please don’t hate me! We’re inching along towards that Lumity confession, just not quite there...  
> Hope you all enjoyed and I’ll see you in the next chapter!


	11. Redrum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning...hang on, once sec. *Grabs magic staff to draw a protective barrier around house*  
> Okay, now where is that glyph for invisibility...*Finds invisibility glyph* Don’t hate me!  
> Trigger Warning: blood and some disturbing content.

After having spent so many hours in the company of a talking shadow that was quite possibly an actual Greater Demon, Amity felt it odd to be talking with a real ghost. The fact that it was Emilia’s ex-fiance made it even stranger, considering Ghost Host had barely described Damien’s part in the whole enactment of the curse. Though Amity was happy they had someone more, well, witch-like to talk to, she did find herself missing the shadowy trickster. Even if they were the Nowhere Demon.

Damien “sat” on his chosen chair and listened intently as each member of Team Owlet recounted what they had learned about the curse, the Pandor’s history, and what happened after the Ghost Host had sent them off to the crypt. Amity expected Luz to jump at the chance to tell their side of the story, but the human had remained uncharacteristically quiet since they entered Damien’s residence, only speaking with the occasional single-word answers, but mostly humming in response, preferring to stay by the cluttered desk. It bothered Amity to see Luz be so distant after how things had been progressing between them, but what she said about liking someone else? Amity did not know how to respond to that.

“ _Miss Blight?_ ”

Amity jumped and turned to see Damien looking at her, clearly expecting her to answer whatever he had asked. “I’m so sorry, what was that? And please, call me Amity.”

“ _Amity,_ ” the ghost nodded. “ _I was curious where you found Emilia’s palisman? It’s strange to see Artemis separate from his staff, even without his mistress._ ”

“Oh, we found him in the family mausoleum after Gus and Skara were told by Madame Leota he was needed to break the curse.”

Damian raised an eyebrow and looked at the duo in question. “ _Really? What did she tell you?_ ”

Skara looked at Gus. “Find the black crypt with no name for the familiar that must be found and…” she frowned. “Something about the living having to dance? Two hearts for two souls?”

“Something like that.” Gus nodded. “It was a little hard with the floating and spinning and the psycho band.”

“ _Bloody Titan, even in death she’s still a handful._ ” Damien looked from them to Willow and Boscha, his gaze lingering on the silver hatchet. “ _Chiaro’s ax. I never expected to see that again. He cared for that blade almost as much as he did for Emilia, saying it was his pride and joy. Even after he became a servant inside the household and no longer needed its use, he still made sure the blade never went dull and always stayed in pristine shape._ ” He adjusted his cravat and shifted on the chair. “ _Mezzanotte wanted assurance that her little brother was protected. If any of the other servants or demons so much as looked at him in a threatening manner, she was quick to guard him._ ” A distant look flashed across his eyes as if he were watching the memory unfold. “ _When Chiaro was found and declared dead, Mezzanotte and I did all we could to try to console Emilia. We knew she was distraught, but we never expected her to...take her own life._ _Chiaro’s death was the destruction of the cornerstone that held the Pandor hierarchy together. Without him and Emilia, it all fell to ruins._ ”

Boscha looked at the weapon in her hands and studied the smooth silver blade, no doubt thinking of the level of care its previous owner had shown it. “So then, if he cared so much about this thing, why was it in the greenhouse with a killer...hey, Luz? What was that thing called? A poop-kin?”

Luz glanced up from Rex. “Pumpkin,”

“Yeah, that. Why was it next to a giant killer poompkin?”

“Ghost Host called it Jack the Pumpkin King.” Willow added. “There was some sort of smudge on the floor when we pulled out.”

Damien was silent for a while, his cheek resting on his fist. “ _I’m not so sure you’ll want the answer to that question. It’s very…unpleasant._ ”

“Trust us, Ghosty,” King said from the nearby couch where he was curled up by Amity. “We’ve seen a lot of unpleasant things here tonight. And don’t forget I’m the King of Demons, I’ve had my fair share of unpleasant acts. Nothing you say will phase us.”

“ _If you insist._ ” Damien cleared his throat and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “ _I was murdered with that ax at the hands of the Nowhere Demon._ ”

The hatchet slipped from Boscha’s grasp and hit the floor, its blade lodging in the fine rug and polished wood. She backed away from the smooth handle as if it were one of the zombies from the crypt and hurriedly wiped her hands down the sides of her shirt. Amity instantly turned to see Luz’s reaction, but her face had disappeared beneath her cat-eared hoodie, only showing her eyes. The glimmer of tears had Amity jumping from her seat and rushing over to the girl, awkwardness and confusion between them be damned.

“Luz, Luz, I need you to take a breath right now. You look like you’re about to pass out.” Her heart stopped when Luz started to sag in her arms and she quickly guided her down to sit on the desk chair. Luz still was holding onto Rex, but now she was clenching the staff so tightly her knuckles were turning white. Amity crouched down when Luz folded forward, her head between her knees. The witch could hear her muttering under her breath and placed a hand on her leg to squeeze gently. “Breathe Luz, just breathe.”

Luz shook her head. “Why? Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Why would they do that? How could they do that? I...I thought…”

“The Ghost Host was a friend.” Amity finished. She watched Luz hunch her shoulders and ran her hand across her back in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. Her parents had never been the type to comfort or console so it felt strange. Still, she was willing to try for Luz.

“How?” Luz sniffled and a few tears fell to the floor. “If all of this was true about the Nowhere Demon, how could it be so nice to us? And why? Just to mess with us for the whole night? It doesn’t make any sense! I mean, sure, they had a mysterious, creepy entrance and looked like a demon, but how do we know they are really the Nowhere Demon? What if it’s a coincidence?” She turned her head to look at Amity and the witch bit her lip at the mournful gaze.

How badly she wanted Luz to be right, that the Ghost Host and the Nowhere Demon were two different beings. That they were still their friend and caretaker to the happy haunts of the mansion. If only they could know who the Ghost Host had been in their past life…

“Do you remember what happened before you…” Willow clasped her hands together and swallowed. “Before you died?”

Damien stared at her curiously and nodded. “ _Yes, I do. Astor and Ophelia ordered Mezzanotte and I to do everything in our Titan given power to bring their daughter back. They could not accept she was gone, not even death could separate them from Emilia. You could say it was their twisted version of love, though I doubt they ever truly understood the meaning of that word._ ”

Amity tried her best to not think too hard about the irony of those words and her own family.

“ _I think it was the last formula we created where Astor chose to take matters into his own hands. A spell that would combine the soul of a witch with the body of a demon. We were confident it would work, but Astor did not let us test it, and chose to enact it himself._ ” Damien looked up at the team. “ _That is why he wanted to summon the Nowhere Demon, to have a creature that he could subject to his will should the spell go wrong. Unfortunately, it did more than go wrong, it was catastrophic. When he opened the portal for the summoning ritual, Mezzanotte was pulled in and all life in the manor became frozen in time. I barely managed to survive the blast radius, but when I tried to escape, the Nowhere Demon arrived. Mezzanotte had kept Chiaro’s ax at the ready should the demon try to attack, but when I fought, it quickly overpowered me and…_ ” he shrugged. “ _The rest is history. I can’t say for certain how long I was gone, but in that length of time, the Nowhere Demon took full control of the souls trapped within the mansion and had begun to lure unsuspecting victims to feed off. Only recently did the Nowhere Demon begin to realize it needed the curse to be broken if it were to free itself of Astor’s chains. But to do that, it would need two living hearts that matched Chiaro and Emilia. The heart of a human and a witch, together in love, to be what Chiaro and Emilia were denied._ ” He sighed and leaned back to stare at the fire. “ _Chiaro was like a brother to me, even though he was a human who could not perform magic and spent all his time hiding away in the Pandor tunnels. When the shoggoth attacked him that night, after he was thrown out of the engagement party, he had already lost the will to live._ ”

“Shoggoth?” Amity looked at the ghost.

“ _Yes,_ ” Damien nodded. “ _Aside from the Nowhere Demon, Astor had found a way to tap into the ancient eldritch forces to guard the family legacy from those who would deface it. Brutal monsters that could not discern friend from foe, they hungered for the blood of their victims, never showing mercy._ ”

Something about those words made Amity’s ears twitch and she turned to Luz. Ghost Host had said Damien was one of the first to accuse Astor and Ophelia of murdering Chiaro, but had never said how. Brow furrowed, Amity read the question in Luz’s eyes and nodded. “I thought you said the shoggoth’s only stayed in the Pandor tunnels?”

“ _Correct,_ ”

“Wasn’t Chiaro’s body found in the woods on the estate?”

“ _He was._ ”

“Then, how could a shoggoth have attacked him if he was on the mansion grounds?” Slowly, Amity stood and took a step forward, her gaze now locked on Damien. She would have taken another step, but felt Luz grasp her hand, making her stop. “And, I could have sworn it was two days after the engagement party that he was found. How could you know he was attacked by a shoggoth that night? Unless,” her eyes narrowed. “You knew about it.”

A log in the fireplace popped, sending sparks flitting up into the air as every single pair of eyes fixated on the ghost lounging in the armchair. Slowly, the members of Team Owlet who had situated themselves within close proximity to Damien began to inch towards Luz and Amity. Hands clasped tightly, Amity felt a light tug on her arm when Luz got to her feet and lifted Rex to set the butt of the staff on the floor, her eyes hardening. Taking another step forward, Amity glared at the ghost’s rippling form.

“You killed Chiaro, didn’t you?”

Resting his cheek on his fist, Damien looked at Amity with a bored expression.

“Didn’t you?”

Sighing, he lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “ _You know, for a moment there I truly thought I had you all fooled. It would have been so much easier to just simply keep you all here for the remainder of the night and let you leave in the morning to rejoin the living, but I guess that’s no longer an option, is it?_ ” Lifting a hand, Damien placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Barking quickly filled the air and the team shot back as the door burst open and a massive grizzled hound with grey fur and three snarling heads lumbered into the room. A glowing green ball was clenched in the main head’s mouth, while the other two snapped at the shocked witchlings.

“ _This is my palisman, Basker,_ ” Damian said as if the creature were a docile pet. “ _I’m sure you remember her from earlier in the tunnels when she tried to return Artemis to his proper owner?_ ”

Amity held up her hand to block the fox from view, feeling the palisman duck behind her neck.

“ _Now, Basker here has kindly brought a friend to me to help answer a few questions I have regarding the matter of breaking this bloody curse and freeing Emilia’s soul from her self-inflicted purgatory._ ” Damien watched the beast drop the glowing green orb at his feet and leaned forward. “ _Basker, guard the witchlings if you please? We don’t want them wandering off to places where they shouldn’t._ ”

The hound growled and launched its hulking body over the furniture to plant itself between Team Owlet and the open door, its three heads snapping at them with fangs made of silver. Gus and Skara glanced over Luz’s arms at the orb in the middle of the room and gasped.

“Madame Leota?!”

The glowing orb flickered and Damien grinned at the floating head. “ _Good evening, Madame, it’s been far too long. I would certainly say that even in death, you are still quite the vision._ ”

“And you’re still the same conniving little necromantist brat who could never have enough. I thought your spirit was trapped in the greenhouse. What do you want with me?”

“ _Quite simple, really,_ ” Damien nodded to the team. “It’s about _those children over there. This ‘Ghost Host’ gave them the clues needed to break the curse, and you told two of them the information on freeing Chiaro and Emilia’s souls. I’d like to know what those clues are and what to do to break it myself. But, only enough to free Emilia. That human can stay trapped in purgatory for all I care._ ”

Luz blinked. “Whoa, talk about flipping sides there. You went from him being like a brother to lower than dirt.”

Madame Leota huffed and rotated to look at Luz. “Oh, it was true at first. He and Chiaro were the best of friends, but when he realized Emilia would rather be with a magic-less human than an all-powerful witch, his fragile little ego couldn’t take it.”

“ _Be quiet!_ ” The flames in the fireplace erupted. “ _Tell me what you told the witchlings, and I won’t shatter you._ ”

“Ooooh, I’m so scared.” The oracle stared up at the witch through half-lidded eyes. “I’m already dead, you idiot. You can’t threaten me.”

“ _But I can make you tell me, remember,_ ” Damien leaned over the crystal ball. “ _My mother was a noted fortune-teller, your old partner I believe?_ ”

For a moment it looked like Madame Leota tried to retreat within her ball, but a dark eyebrow arched. “Last time I checked though, you don’t have a corporeal body and that’s kind of important if you want to use your magic on an oracle.”

Damien leaned back, growling softly. “ _Yes, you’re quite right Madame. I do need a corporeal body in order to cast my magic, and to regain that, I’ll need the blood of the living. Preferably,_ ” he slowly turned his head and Amity’s blood went ice-cold when his eyes fell on Luz. “ _From a powerful witch._ ”

Amity saw him nod to Basker and the hound lashed out to grab hold of Luz’s arm. Instead, it closed on Amity’s as she shoved Luz to the side and threw up her arms for a shield, feeling the knife-like teeth grasp hold and pull her down. Screaming, Amity tried to draw a spell circle, but the hound was quick to yank her off her feet and towards its master.

“Amity!” Luz yelled, but one of Basker’s heads peeled from its side, becoming a separate hound on its own that snapped at her when she tried to attack. The second head split off into another hound to flank the team on the opposite end, growling as it fixed its glowing red eyes on them.

Hissing as she was dragged across the room, Amity tried to pull herself free, but the jaws clamped over her arm were stronger than anything she had ever fought before. Jerking its head, Basker flipped her around so Amity was sitting next to Madame Leota’s crystal ball and looking up at Damien’s ghostly visage.

“ _So, you would sacrifice yourself for the safety of another? I wonder why?_ ” Damien leaned in close and Amity felt the air around her drop in temperature. The way he was looking at her, how his eyes were trailing over her face, her eyes, her hair, felt like he was doing more than just studying her. From the other side of the room, Amity heard one of the Basker clones snarl and Luz snarl right back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Willow and Boscha had hooked their arms under Luz’s shoulders to hold her. Damien glanced her way as well and his grin turned into a vicious leer.

“ _Well, well, well, young love in the air. How absolutely touching._ ”

Amity stiffened when she heard Luz whisper to Willow. “Young love? What’s he talking about?”

“ _Oh,_ ” The word was drawn out when Damien turned back to Amity. “ _Unrequited. What a pity. I understand your pain, my dear._ ”

The witchling looked away from Damien, but that only made him chuckle, and she clenched her fists.

“Seriously, what's he talking about?”

“ _Hmph, clearly not the observant type._ ”

“Shut up!” Amity snapped, her eyes burning holes in the ghost’s face. Basker’s hold on her arms was not giving, but if she could just get enough freedom to rotate her wrist, then maybe she could draw a spell circle. “You don’t know everything about what we’ve done here, we’re so close to breaking the curse. When the Ghost Host finds us, they’re going to make you pay for what you’ve done.” The fangs holding her arms pricked at her skin and a few drops of blood dripped onto the rug.

“ _I wouldn’t be so certain of that, Miss Blight._ ” Getting up from his chair, Damien slowly paced around the palisman, not bothering to look at the rest of the group. “ _You see, there is no ‘Ghost Host’, only the Nowhere Demon, and it doesn’t care about you or your friends. Besides, in order to free both Emilia and Chiaro, you’ll need two living beings, a witch and a human, in love with each other._ ”

Amity froze and her eyes went straight to Luz. Boscha, Willow, Skara, Gus, and King all looked at each other with realization and dread. Damien did not know Luz was a human, either because she still had her hoodie up and he hadn’t seen her ears or he did not see her use her glyphs to cast magic. From behind Skara’s hair, Artemis peeked out to look at Amity, having leapt off her shoulders when Basker attacked.

“ _However,_ ” Damien continued, stopping to crouch at Amity’s side. “ _Since you have so heroically offered yourself in place of your clueless, unrequited love, I’ll just have to accept your blood instead._ ”

“Hey! Who said it was unrequited?”

The only thing keeping Amity from face-planting the rug was the literal death-grip on her arms as she stared, wide-eyed and pink-faced, at Luz. What the Titan did she just say? Basker yanked her down when she tried to stand, causing her to cry out as its fangs sank deeper into her arms, which only made Luz pull harder in Boscha and Willow’s hold.

“Leave her alone!”

Snarling, Damien looked over his shoulder. “ _Be quiet witchling! I spent centuries held in place by that blasted silver blade, too much time in this purgatory, to let a group of meddlesome children such as you get in my way!_ ” Behind him, Amity whimpered as Basker pulled at the bandage around her shoulder to expose the gash from the shoggoth’s claws. Fresh, bright-red blood pooled up between the torn fragments of skin from the fang tips pricking at the tender flesh. Luz lunged in the grip holding her back, tears burning in her eyes, as Damien rotated around and knelt beside Amity. Opening his mouth, Amity watched in sick horror as his top fangs grew to become needle-thin and sharp. “ _I hope you’re not squeamish, Miss Blight._ ”

When his mouth closed over the wound, it felt as if all the warmth was being drained out of it. Amity couldn’t even find the strength to scream, her body was instantly overtaken by a frigid cold that locked all her muscles into place. Pain spiked through her chest in the spot where her bile-sac resided while her heart pounded against her rib-cage. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t even blink, all her strength was being sapped from her body. Her throat burned as she fought to breathe, but only one word was able to escape from her mouth in a gasp that was a whispered plea for help. One single name.

“L...Luz…”

A howl ripped through the room, an agonizing bellow of pure rage, that had Basker releasing its grip on her arm and turning its head. Bright purple light flared and Damien lifted his head to turn around, just in time for the twin beams of lavender magic to crash into him and his palisman, sending them both flying back into the fireplace. Ash and sparks burst from the spot to fill the room, obscuring Amity’s already wavering vision. She heard the Basker clones barking and growling, but a flash of silver swung through the clouds and the sound of metal against metal rang in her ears, followed by two heavy bodies collapsing. Trying to sit up, Amity sensed a figure drop to her side and warm arms slide beneath her legs and back.

“Aaaand, scoop!”

Weak as she felt, Amity yelped in surprise when Luz lifted her off the floor and raced out the door into the hallway. Over her shoulder, she could see Boscha holding the ax as Willow, Skara, and Gus ran out, and slammed the door shut, casting a spell that covered the door in a barrier of light. Gus was cradling the shimmering orb of Madame Leota in his arms, the oracle looking far from pleased at being jostled about.

“Please don’t drop me! I’m fragile! Very fragile!”

“Don’t talk to us about being fragile!” Gus snapped. “We’re the ones feeling fragile right now!”

King hung onto Luz’s fallen hoodie as she ran, Rex’s staff tucked under her arms, Artemis held in King’s grip.

“Luz!” Amity clutched the front of her torn hoodie. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Luz turned a corner without even looking and shot off, her eyes focused on the route ahead. “I’m getting you out of here! We have to find somewhere safe to keep you and hold Damien off! I don’t know what drinking your blood will do to him but,” A darkness flitted in her eyes that sent a shiver unrelated to the cold down Amity’s spine. “I’m not going to let him touch you again.”

“Luz, please stop! You’re not thinking clearly! We’re going to get lost if we don’t know where we’re going!”

“I don’t care! I just want you as far away from that - that _monster_ as possible!”

Amity wanted to argue against that, but a wave of dizziness hit her and she felt her grip on Luz’s shirt weaken. Luz must have felt it too because she tightened her hold around her. Somewhere behind them they heard the sound of wood shattering and the baying of a hound.

“Hang in there, Amity,” she whispered in her ear. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

The only response Amity could give was a soft whimper and she hated that, but Luz seemed to accept it and hurried off in whichever direction she chose. They continued running, turning corners and ducking into rooms, but the sounds of pursuit from Damien’s palisman always seemed to follow them. Skidding to round another corner, Amity felt Luz lurch to a stop and a silvery light shimmered through her half-lidded eyes. A soft trill tickled her ear and, slowly, Amity opened her eyes and rolled her head to see a spirit orb hovering eye-level with her.

“Little ghost friend!” Willow was at their side in an instant, holding out her hand for the orb to settle on. “It’s okay,” she looked at Luz and Amity with a reassuring smile. “This one is a friend. It helped us find Chiaro’s journal and his hatchet.”

Luz looked from the plant witch to the ghost ball. “Can you help us find a place where we’ll be safe?”

The orb bobbed up and down, trilling eagerly, and shot down the hall. Tightening her grip on Amity, Luz jogged after it, their friends close behind. Amity felt the muscles in Luz’s arms shaking from the effort of holding her up and she tugged at the girl’s shirt.

“Luz, you can’t keep carrying me! I can walk myself!” She squealed when Luz’s hold tightened even more and the human shook her head.

“No! I’m not letting you go just for you to be hurt again! Besides,” she glanced down at Amity with a lopsided grin. “We promised each other we wouldn’t shove the other out of harm’s way, and you broke that promise in probably record time. Now I owe you for three things! I’m not going to let that happen again!” Her foot snagged a wrinkle in the rug and Luz stumbled, but caught herselt and pushed on.

Groaning, Amity tried to pull herself up so she could be closer to Luz’s face. “Now is not the time for the fearless champion act, Luz! I don’t want you to wear yourself out just because of me!”

“And I care about you too much to see you hurt!” Luz bit her lip and quickly looked away, but not enough for Amity to miss the bright red blush swarming her cheeks. A loud hiss from her shoulder made them jolt as Rex reared back and tugged himself free of Luz’s grip to lightly tap her side, his hood flaring open. His eyes darted from Luz to Amity back to Luz and the staff bounced up and down in the air. Blinking, Luz glanced at Amity and to the staff. “Oh, that’s actually a good idea…” Stopping, Luz carefully set Amity down on the staff, only to climb on behind her, her arms keeping her in place. Rex needed no command and darted after the spirit orb, but managed to maintain the same speed as the rest of Team Owlet, staying low enough to the floor without their feet dragging.

The warmth from Luz’s arms on either side of her helped chase away some of the cold clinging to her body and Amity could not help but lean into it as they followed the spirit through the mansion. Had it not been for the fact they were once again fleeing for their lives, she would have enjoyed the sensation of it all.

“Hey, Amity?” Luz’s warm breath tickled the tip of her pointed ear, making it flick. “I know this may not be the best time right now to talk about it, since you know, we’re running away from some psycho vampire-witch-ghost, but, what did he mean when he said unrequited love?”

Yeah, this was not the best time to have this conversation. Amity’s grip tightened on the staff and she heard Rex hiss in protest. Swallowing, she stared ahead while trying her best to keep her eyes open. “Well, what do you think it means?”

“Do you want the dictionary definition or the fan fic explanation?”

“Luz, do we really have to talk about this right now?” She chanced a look over her shoulder at the human and was met with a perplexed look.

“Well..I mean...considering he said all of that right before he started drinking your blood like fresh Kool-Aid because you jumped in front of me, yeah, I think so.” Luz leaned to the side so she could meet Amity’s eyes, and sighed. “Look, I remember that, when we fought Grom, you had a note you wanted to give someone to ask them to the dance. I never saw who the note was for, and, I wanted to support you as a friend for whoever it was and not pry, even if they would be some boneheaded idiot to reject you.”

Rex swerved around a corner and Amity nearly fell off the side, or so she told herself that was why she about toppled off. If not for Luz’s arms keeping her steady, though Amity was honestly not sure if that made it any better.

“But, there’s something I want to tell you.” Taking a deep breath, Luz closed her eyes as if to brace herself, and met Amity’s widened gaze. “I know this is going to sound crazy and, you’re probably going to laugh at me, or maybe even hate me, but I, well, the thing is, you and me, yeah we’re friends and all. See, I was wondering if,”

This was getting too painful to take. Growling, Amity reclined so her back was pressing against Luz’s chest, cutting off the human’s tirade of words with a choked squeak. “It was you, Luz.” When all that she heard was a sputter and a wheeze, Amity turned her head so her nose brushed the soft skin of Luz’s cheek. “The boneheaded idiot I was afraid of rejecting me was you. That’s what I wanted to tell you in the tunnels, but I was so scared you would hate me that I couldn’t make myself say it.”

Luz’s mouth opened and closed like the bright orange carp that she had seen flopping about the docks, their long white whiskers and golden crowned head splashing in the waters. Only, because it was Luz, it was adorable and made her want to giggle.

“I-I-I-you-me-Grom-note-ohwowsports... _que?!_ ”

Sighing, Amity reached up, wincing at the bite of pain in her shoulder, and pressed a finger on Luz’s face to turn her eyes to her. The feeling of their noses brushing sent an electrified mix of fear and excitement into her stomach, but Amity wanted to look into those deep brown eyes to see what they were hiding. This was not the way she had imagined confessing her feelings to Luz, no doubt it was not how anyone would have imagined it, but considering the circumstances they were in, what more could she do? She was tired of running from her feelings, tired of trying to bury them deep down where they couldn’t be found, tired of telling herself she was never going to be worthy of something childish and naive as true love. Ever since Luz had smashed into her life like a gorenado, she never felt anything so overwhelming and warm as the human’s overeager desire to befriend her. Maybe she was fooling herself and, if Luz told her that she did not feel the same way and would want to remain friends, she would accept that. It would be painful, to see someone else be so lucky to have the love and affection from the quirky human, but she would respect her choice.

“I don’t know if you feel the same way for me,” Amity said, relaying her thoughts as Rex continued to carry them through the maze of halls. “And if you don’t I’ll understand. But, I just wanted to tell you I - ”

The staff beneath them was flung to the side and they slammed into the wall, knocking down a trio of portraits. Amity gasped as a fresh bout of pain stabbed through her bleeding shoulder and she struggled to pull herself to her feet, glaring at the single-headed Basker clone that had managed to intercept their path. The hallway swam in her attempt to stand upright, her eyes watching the hound lean back in a pounce, the muscles in his legs bunching. A battle cry from the side made them both turn just as Boscha plowed into the clone, swinging the hatchet with the might of a star grudgby captain that sent the hound soaring.

“Come on!” She yanked Luz to her feet and shoved Rex’s staff into her hands before pulling them both after the spirit orb.

Seeing the end of the hallway fast approaching, Amity felt her legs wobble beneath her and allowed Willow to support her by the arms when she stumbled. She didn’t recall entering the room or collapsing to the floor, but Luz’s arms wrapping around her shoulders was a welcome revelation. A door slammed shut and Amity looked up to see four very familiar portraits looking down on them and a cracked mirror hanging over an empty fireplace. They were back in the Portrait Room.

Pushing off the door, Skara turned to the ball of silver light hovering in the center of the room. “Okay little ghost ball, where to next?” The door to the room shuddered as something heavy rammed into it from the otherside, making everyone jump back.

The orb bobbed up and down, trilling loudly, and shot over to the fireplace, its light falling on the burnt out ashes.

“He’s telling you to go into the fire pit.” Said Madame Leota from Gus’ hold. “That’s the only way to safety.”

“What?” Boscha yelped, running to the door to plant her shoulder against it when it shuddered. “That doesn’t make sense!” Another hit sent her stumbling back and she jammed her body to the door.

The spirit orb trilled again and shot into the fireplace, disappearing down into the ashes. Willow looked up at the group and shrugged.

“Nothing about this place makes sense, but at least we’ve got someone who knows what to do!” Squaring her shoulders, Willow charged at the fireplace and, pinching her nose, jumped in. The moment her feet touched the pile of ashes, she vanished.

Scrambling to his feet, Gus tucked Madame Leota beneath his arm. “You sure about this?” He looked at the oracle.

“Kid, I’ve been in this mansion for a long time. If it seems like a wacky, stupid idea, you take it!”

“Wacky and stupid?” Luz grinned, hoisting Amity up in her arms as Gus vanished into the fireplace. “That’s what we do!” She looked down at King who was holding Artemis like a stuffed animal. “You ready, bud?”

“The King of Demons fears nothing!” Pumping his fist into the air, King let out a high-pitched rage squeal and charged at the fireplace, disappearing headfirst into the darkness.

Hands fisting in the fabric of Luz’s ruined hoodie, Amity felt the human brace herself and ran at the fireplace, yelling in the loudest voice possible.

“For the honor of Grayskull!”

Strange thing to yell before diving into a portal. Darkness rose up around them in a swirling mass of shadows that whispered and tugged at them, seemingly buoying their bodies in a silent gust of wind, until they were spat out and dumped on the cold, unforgiving floor. Groaning, Amity sat up, holding her head, and looked up, recognizing the expansive interior of the ballroom. Only now, it was completely devoid of the ghosts who had been partying hours before, nothing more than a large empty room. Faint screaming quickly grew in volume as Skara and Boscha were tossed out from what seemed like nowhere and landed beside Luz, who was situated just behind Amity. Moaning, the human rubbed her head and looked around to her friends.

“I think we lost him!”

A gutteral snarl rolled through the room, followed by the sound of metallic claws clicking on the finely polished floor.

“Don’t be so sure about that, witchling.”

Slowly, Team Owlet turned to see Damien crossing the room from what must have been the main entrance; two grand doors that slammed shut when he drew a spell circle, the magic a dark rust- colored red. A faint glimmer of green light silhouetted his now-corporeal body, the colors of his clothing, skin, eyes, and hair now opaque in the faint glow. The only detail that appeared wrong was the smoke trailing from the charred burn slowly closing shut over his chest where Luz had hit him with Rex’s magic. Basker walked alongside him, all three heads snarling as the palisma stalked towards the party.

“You’ve put up a good fight, I’ll admit that, but I’m afraid you’ve run out of mansion. Now,” Damien held out his hand. “Give me Emilia’s palisman, and I’ll let you choose who can be her new host body.” Between Gus and Willow, King tightened his grasp on the fox. “Or, I’ll have to choose for myself. Why don’t we go with Miss Blight?” He ran his tongue over the blood still coating his lip and Luz pulled Amity to her chest, holding Rex out before her.

“Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged.” Damien raised an eyebrow, taking out a long, oiled black walking stick from behind him, Basker’s interlock flashing from the top. “You’re a brave one, girl, and I admire that in you. But, you can’t beat me, none of you can! You have no way!”

“ _Wrong,_ ”

A low groan came from the double doors and the many candles in the chandeliers and lining the walls sprang to life with bright green flames. Wind rose up from the floor and swirled into a galeforce around Team Owlet that pushed them to huddle into a tight group. Shadows hissed to form a large circle that traced around them, shoving Damien and his palisman back. Laughter echoed through the air, a deep, unapologetic laugh, and the vortex around them stopped, plunging down into the floor as the shadows rippled out like waves, until a single shape remained. A tall, silhouette rippling like flames, wicked horns growing out from its head, and wide wings spreading out from its back, the shadow crossed its arms and a pair of golden and red eyes slid open. For the first time since Team Owlet had met them, a mouth split to reveal dagger-like fangs, and the Ghost Host grinned.

“ _There’s always MY way._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you really think I was going to have Ghost Host be the villain?  
> 


	12. Fantasma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together* Who’s ready to meet the REAL Ghost Host?  
> 

Luz was positive her jaw had fallen somewhere on the floor when it dropped open. Maybe Amity could find it for her and push it back into place? It was a little hard to tell just what muscles were working and which ones were not. Only two facts were registering in her brain at the moment: one, that she and her friends were still alive and had not been mauled to death, yet, by Damien and his psychotic three-headed palisman; two, she was holding Amity in her arms, who had just confessed she had feelings for her; and three, oh, there was a third, the Ghost Host was back. Staring down at the familiar shadow on the floor, Luz was as excited as she was terrified to see the phantasmic being that had been their guide for most of the night, but was also the very creature that could steal their precious life energy from them in a heartbeat. In all honesty, Luz was not sure who to be more afraid of at the moment, but if she had to choose, it would be the Ghost Host. Strangely enough, it was not her friends the Ghost Host was looking at, but Damien. Arms crossed over its chest, the fiery-shadow rotated its glowing gold and red eyes to fix on the necromancer and let out a low snarl that sent goosebumps prickling up Luz’s arms.

“ _Damien Pluto, how absolutely..._ **_thrilling_ ** _to see you again.Evidently you did not hesitate to attack these poor witchlings and drain them of their blood. Tell me, have you enjoyed your time in Pandor Mansion’s purgatory?_ ”

From across the room, Basker growled and advanced on the shadow, but stopped when Damien rested his hand on the main head. “So, you’re the Ghost Host I’ve heard about. I must admit I was not expecting you to look so...flat. I thought Astor Pandor summoned the mighty Nowhere Demon, not some,” He flicked the tip of his cane at the Ghost Host’s head. “Talking smokestack. How could a creature like you possibly maintain order within Pandor Mansion?”

“ _Oh, my dear Damien, you have it all wrong. You see,_ ” The shadow stretched along the floor to circle around him, its tail maintaining a perimeter around Luz and her friends. Feeling Amity wrap a hand around her arm, Luz pulled her tighter to her chest as they watched the Ghost Host with uncertainty. “ _I_ am _the Nowhere Demon. I have been ever since the day Astor opened that portal to the darkest depths of the Chaos Realm. The very spectre feared by witches, demons, and ghosts alike. Capable of draining the life of even those who have passed on, but yet to cross over, being one of the few creatures that can bring death to the dead. Blah, blah, blah._ ” The snarl in the Ghost Host’s tone made Luz pull Amity even closer, though she noticed Damien tighten his grip on his cane.

“Impressive talk for the one who murdered me in cold blood with an axe. Don’t think I didn’t tell your precious little cluster of would-be heroes about what you did.” Damien stared haughtily down at the shadow. “Yes, I drank the blood of the green-haired witchling to regain my magic, but from what I can tell, you’re merely at a fraction of the powers a true Nowhere Demon would possess. Threaten me all you want, but if all that you are is a shadow of yourself, then,” Lifting his hand, Damien traced a spell circle in the air and held it in his palm. “You have no way of stopping me from ending this curse and riding the Isles of this miserable house.”

“ _Ah, ah, ah, you’re forgetting something very important here, Damien,_ ” The Ghost Host pulled back to rest in front of Team Owlet. “ _You see, a long time ago, I learned that there will always be another way out of a situation. From there I decided that that way would be MY way, and so, I began to keep an open mind and look for every single angle best fit to my advantage. That is why I am the Ghost Host of this mansion, why I am caretaker to the happy haunts, and why I will make sure that you_ **_pay for what you have done to these kids.”_ **

The shadows rippling along the Ghost Host’s visage flared and shot off, climbing up the floor and walls to mold themselves into individual creatures of varying shapes and sizes; from humanoid to draconic to beastial, they all whispered with voices like wind as they leered down at the living and undead occupants of the room. Daimen slowly spun in a circle to take in the surrounding shadows as did Team Owlet, quickly brandishing whatever spells they still had the strength to create. The circle around them shifted as the Ghost Host rotated to look at them, its glowing eyes locking with Luz’s before tracing over the rest of her friends, holding when they focused on Amity’s bleeding shoulder.

“For such a powerful demon,” Damien said, ignoring the shadows hissing all around him. “You seem to be taking quite a lot of this personally. I did not realize a Greater Demon, even a soulless one like you, would care so much for a small group of insignificant witchlings, all for breaking one measly curse. Why?”

Chuckling, the Ghost Host did not turn around, only stared up at Luz. “ _It’s actually quite simple my dear Damien,_ ” the shadowy mouth slid open in a sardonic smile. “ _After all, you killed me first._ ”

Damien stared at the massive silhouette in comprehension that slowly changed to realization, and in turn became shock, as the Ghost Host finally turned its gaze onto him.

“ _I’m the one you pushed through the portal._ ”

Even Basker took a step back, growl faltering, and Damien’s eyes widened. “Mezzanotte?”

All the feeling went away in Luz’ s hands and Rex hit the dance floor in a loud clatter, but the staff might as well have landed on a feather pillow, she didn’t hear it. It was as if the events of the entire night were playing back in her mind at breakneck speed, yet she was able to see every single one of them. The knowledge of the Pandor family, their wish Luz take Rex for protection, the longing to make right what had been done wrong to Emilia and Chiaro. Even the way the Ghost Host led them throughout the mansion and seemed to command the room they entered as if they owned it, it all made sense.

“But,” Amity stared at the shadow. “You - when I asked you earlier if you were Mezzanotte, you said you weren’t her.”

“ _That’s because you did not ask the question in the correct manner, my dear. You asked me if I_ am _Mezzanotte, you did not ask if I_ was _Mezzanotte. Present tense, not past._ ”

Luz bit her lip at the annoyed look on Amity’s face and gave her a soft squeeze. “Why didn’t you tell us? Why lie about who you are?”

“ _Because, even though Mezzanotte is who I was when I was alive,_ ” The Ghost Host/Mezzanotte sighed, lowering their head. “ _The day I went through that portal, I would never exist as Mezzanotte again._ ” Snarling now, Ghost Host opened their wings and the shadows whispered. “ _That day, when Astor Pandor was to cast the summoning spell and call upon the Nowhere Demon, I knew something was wrong. I knew the facts of Chiaro’s murder did not make sense, a shoggoth would never be caught above ground outside of the family crypt. I knew Damien was responsible in some manner, but I also knew he had leverage over me with the family, so I bided my time. Sadly, I waited too long and was found out, for when the spell was cast, Damien shoved me into the portal before the Nowhere Demon could enter our dimension._

_I floated through that world of shadow and darkness, unable to tell how much time had passed, where up was from down, or even to know if I was moving. Countless demons bleed their way through the portal into the mansion, destroying all they touched. It felt like an eternity later, but in truth it was no more than a few minutes, before the Nowhere Demon found me within that dimension. The sacrificial life force, that’ s what I was to become. I do not know if Damien and Astor agreed on it or if it was something they chose spur of the moment, but that was the purpose I was meant to serve. However,_ ” the shadowy fangs separated in a wicked grin. “ _I was not without preparation. I created the formula we were planning to use, the one that would bind the soul of a witch with the body of a demon, so I knew I could use this to my advantage. The Nowhere Demon was intrigued by my formula and offered a trade: I could have all of its power, its form, its command of the shadows, but in exchange, I would need to give it everything that made me Mezzanotte. My identity would be no more, and I would be bound to the mansion forever. I would retain my memories, but Mezzanotte would be gone. At the time, it seemed a trivial price to pay for revenge, and so I accepted the deal._ ”

A peal of thunder rolled through the ballroom followed by a flash of lighting that, for a brief moment, turned the Ghost Host’s form invisible in the light.

“ _When I returned to this world, I could not remember my transformation or where my witch magic had gone, only that I had agreed to sell my identity and soul to the Nowhere Demon. And I was..._ ** _hungry_** _. Fortunately for me, but not so much for him, Astor Pandor was the first available living being I found. He had been holding the shadows at bay and thought he could imprint his will onto me to stop the spread of the curse. If only he knew my will was my own.”_ Closing its eyes, the Ghost Host shook its head at the memories. “ _I am not proud for giving in to the dark impulses that overtook me, but, when I knew that consuming the life force of Astor and Ophelia Pandor meant they would never be able to pass to the afterlife, that they would know only oblivion, after all they had done to Chiaro and Emilia...well…_ ” It shrugged. “ _It was quick work with the strength and powers I now possessed. Oh, magic could hurt me, silver weapons could delay me, but all I had to do was drain the life force of the one attacking me and all of their efforts would go away._ _When I found Damien, he was trying to flee the grounds. He had taken Chiaro’s axe and journal when I went through the portal, no doubt hoping the blade would protect him from whatever nightmare came back out. We fought all throughout the mansion, only Chiaro’s axe and his magic to keep me at bay. He didn’t know who I was and at the time, I could hardly remember myself. But, never forget that hell hath no fury like a witch scorned._ ”

Swallowing, Luz had not realized she was trembling until Amity gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

“ _I could have drained his life force just as I had the rest of the Pandor family, but then I realized something. Why give him the same freedom as the others when it was his responsibility for what had happened? Why allow the murderer to escape when it only seemed fair he remained a prisoner just like me? Silver cannot harm ghosts, but it can trap them, which is why-_ ”

“You impaled him to the floor with the axe,” Boscha whispered. “But, you sent us there to free him? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“ _Because my dear, this mansion would forever be tainted by his stain and prevent the curse from being broken. Because of the curse, I could not remove Chiaro’s journal, so I planted the pumpkin king to guard it until the time was right._ ” Sighing, the Ghost Host looked up at Team Owlet with what Luz could only describe as remorse. “ _I am not proud of what I have done, who I became. I will not justify my actions for they were mine and I chose to act as I did with my newfound power. When the curse finally set in, I realized the happy haunts trapped with me needed someone to protect them, someone to help guide them and keep them safe, maintain order to the purgatory that was now their life. I started to resist the urge to drain the life force of others and because of that, I began to lose my shape. Soon, I was nothing more than the literal shadow of my former self, the memories of who I once was plaguing me with longing and regret. But, I knew that for as long as this curse remained, so would the poor unfortunate souls held here against their will. The curse limited my abilities just enough so that I could not break it, but that did not mean I couldn’t learn about it._ ”

“That’s how you came up with the riddle for the curse.” Skara said. “So that when someone who could solve it came along, you could tell them what to do.”

“ _Indeed. To break the curse, two individuals who matched the souls of Chiaro and Emilia would need to find the palisman of Emilia, free Chiaro’s axe and journal, and of course, the ring._ ”

“Ring?” Luz’s eyes widened and she looked at Amity. “See? See? I was right! It was an engagement ring we had to find!”

“Only one problem,” Amity frowned. “Where is it?”

“Oh, you mean this ring?”

Everyone looked up to see a thin chain dangling from Damien’s hand, a small, simple golden ring winking from the end. Clicking his tongue, the necromancer flipped the chain up and caught the ring in his hand to hold up to his eye. “Pity that all those savings Chiaro had could buy something so meager and pathetic as a tiny little band of gold. Oh well,” Tucking it into his vest, Daimen smiled at the team. “Waste not, want not.”

“ _Hand that over, now._ ”

Damien raised an eyebrow at the Ghost Host and laughed. “What are you going to do, _Mezzanotte_ ? Turn off the lights so I’ll be afraid of the dark? Wail a ghostly wail in my ears? Jump out from behind the corners and shout ‘boo!’? You’re nothing but the same bleeding heart, overly-confident, headstrong, know-it-all witch who thought she could protect a feeble human from our world. That _human_ ,” he sneered. “Was the stain on this world, not me! Weak, pathetic, unimaginative creatures that can’t perform magic who have no business associating with the likes of us. A human and a witch together? Don’t make me laugh.”

Ghost Host roared at the witch and he lifted his cane, drawing a spell circle that ignited in a ball of burning red flames.

“Hey, Damien! Here’s a chuckle for you!”

He looked up in confusion and was met with a blast of swirling purple light that sent him flying into Basker’s side, the spell circle in his hand dissipating. Ghost Host whirled around to see Luz standing tall and holding Rex before her in one hand with her other arm wrapped around Amity to keep her up. Behind them, Willow, Gus, and Skara all cupped spell circles in their palms while Boscha casually rested the axe on her shoulder. Even King looked ready for a fight, Artemis standing before him, eyes blazing with magic.

“ _You all look like death warmed over._ ”

“Well, excuse us for not looking pretty after running from zombies, shoggoths, and a giant demon statue. Oh wait,” King glared at the Ghost Host. “That last one was you.”

The Ghost Host cleared their throat. “ _Yes, terribly sorry for that. I was being honest when I told you the curse limited me from entering the crypt. The statue was the only loophole I could find, something for me to possess. Unfortunately, it was not that easy to control to crush those pesky corpses. Speaking of which,_ ”

A low groan filled the air and the members of Team Owlet looked up to see six zombies climb from red circles that appeared along the floor, their eyes glowing the same color as Daimen’s magic. Holding a circle aloft in his hand, the necromancer stared at the group, his eyes glowing as well, and set the tip of his cane on the floor.

“I’m done playing games with witchlings and shadows. Basker!” The hound at his side growled eagerly. “Go fetch.”

Luz’s eyes widened as the hound bounded towards them and, swinging Rex in front of Amity, kicked at the staff with her heel. “Scatter!” The duo shot straight up into the air as the rest of Team Owlet sprang from each other to avoid the massive hound barreling straight at them. The room trembled slightly when Basker’s heads careened into the wall and a tall vase fell to the side, smashing into pieces.

“ _Oh dear, there goes one of Ophelia’s prized urns._ ” The Ghost Host sighed. “ _Whatever shall I do?_ ”

“Help us?” Gus yelped, ducking under a zombie’s hands and clutching Madame Leota to his chest.

The oracle cried out when her orb slipped. “Watch it, will ya? I’m not a bouncy ball!”

“ _Right, I could help._ ” The Ghost Host bolted along the floor towards the nearest zombie and dove into its shadow like it was a pool. The corpse’s body seized up, its head jerking back in a sickening angle, and black and green flames erupted from its chest that quickly consumed it, leaving nothing but ash. The Ghost Host slid out from beneath the pile and shook their head. “ _Titan, that was not appetizing._ ”

Rolling her eyes, Luz held tight to Rex as she flew across the room, keeping her arms around Amity like a shield. The heightened ceiling of the ballroom gave them some space to move, but only enough to escape the zombies. Barking came from the side and she turned her head to see Basker charging up the spiral walkway, all three pairs of eyes locked on them. Quickly, Luz turned Rex away and shot forward, but a blast of magic from Damien made her flinch back, and her grip on the staff slipped.

“Luz!” Amity screamed as she felt her arms pull back and spun around in a desperate attempt to catch the human just as Basker launched off the platform.

Either it was pure dumb luck or wack planning on her part, but Luz felt her fingers close around the metal of a nearby chandelier, and she held on. Her heart dropped into her stomach as Amity teetered off the staff caught by Basker’s swinging claws and she reached out, wincing as she grasped hold of Amity’s injured arm and pulled her up. Rex and Basker plummeted to the floor, the hound crashing through the fine dance space. For a moment, Rex darted up as if to rush to Luz, but one of Basker’s jaws snatched the staff from the air.

Hissing, the Ghost Host shot to the members of Team Owlet and swirled around them. “ _They’re not going to last long if we don’t act fast. I swore to you all I would never force this upon you, but, I need to ask for you to share with me a drop of your blood._ ”

“What?!” The team yelped.

“ _I can’t use my powers if I don’t have a corporeal body. It’s the only way we can defeat Damien and save your friends!_ ”

From the chandelier above, Luz did her best to focus on keeping her fingers wrapped around the looping enamel and not on dangling a hundred feet in the air. Hearing Amty whimper beside her, she looked at the witch and tried her best to smile.

“Amity, Amity, look at me. We’re going to be okay, got it? We’re getting out of this alive. I promise.”

Snarling, the Ghost Host looked back to the witchlings. “ _Please. I wish it did not come to this, but this is what must be done! You have no reason to trust me, and I know I’ve done wrong in the past, but I swear, I will do everything to keep you all safe!”_

Team Owlet looked at each other, their eyes full of conflicting emotions. Groaning, Boscha walked to the shadows and sighed. “If you try to take my life force, I’ll destroy you.” She lifted her hand to the axe blade and, gritting her teeth, sliced it along her palm before handing it to Willow. “What’s a matter, Half-A-Witch? Scared?”

Taking the axe, Willow frowned at Boscha. “I’m not half-a-witch, I’m a full witch!” And ran her hand across the blade.

Up above, Luz felt her fingers grow sweaty and hissed as she tried to tighten her hold, feeling the muscles in her arms shaking. If this was how she felt after carrying Amity around for so long, she couldn’t even imagine how Amity felt with her shoulder. Suddenly, the rod she was holding on cracked and jabbed her palm, causing her hands to slip from the metal and the chandelier pitched to the side, jolting the girls as it swung. For one sickening second, Luz met Amity’s eyes and saw her hands loosen from their hold. Then, everything caught up with them, and she watched Amity tumble to the floor below.

“AMITY!!!” Before she could even think, Luz let go and plunged after the witchling, reaching out for her as if taking her hands would somehow save them from being smashed into pancakes. Feeling Amity’s fingers brush against hers, Luz yanked her to her chest and instinctively curled around her, shutting her eyes to prepare for impact. She felt the air rushing up around them, and then, something else was there that surrounded them. Something...warm? Luz felt their bodies hit the floor and bounce a couple times before skidding to a halt. There was the muffled sound of an explosion, but whatever was protecting them shielded them from the impact.

“ _I believe you may open your eyes now._ ”

Peeling one eyelid open, Luz saw she was still alive and in one piece, or so she thought, sitting on the floor of the ballroom. Amity was no longer in her arms, but she could see her just across from her, her eyes shut tight. Behind her was something that looked like a curtain, a black feathered curtain that flexed out ever so slightly. Their arms were wrapped around what felt like a lean, well-muscled torso that was humming with a deep purr that vibrated through Luz’s chest. Hugging the girls was a pair of strong arms that held onto them tightly, but not so much so that it was constricting. Both eyes now open, Luz slowly lifted her head to be greeted by a glowing gold and red gaze, sharp curling horns and a fanged smirk.

“G-Ghost Host?!”

Amity’s eyes snapped open and she gaped up at the grinning demon.

“ _Yes, tesoro, I’m here._ ” A ball of rust-colored flames exploded against a wall of shimmering green energy that sprang up from behind the Ghost Host’s back, though it did not keep Luz and Amity from clinging to their waist. “ _Hmph, persistent little bugger, isn’t he? Don’t worry, my friends from the other side will keep him busy while I tend to you lot. But first, hold on._ ”

Luz felt the Ghost Host’s arm tighten against her as wind rose up around them and they pitched forward into darkness. It was like flying on a staff, but Luz could not see anything, only feel the Ghost Host holding onto her and Amity’s fingers brushing against hers. Suddenly, the Ghost Host rose up to breach the surrounding darkness and Luz found they were now standing with their friends. What looked like shadows were swirling around them in a vortex that tossed back any zombie that got too close. When Luz looked to see where Damien was, she saw a group of creatures that appeared much like the Ghost Host, but smaller, trying to block him with bodies made of shadow. The necromancer and his palisman tore through the wispy figures only for them to quickly reform in a different spot, taunting Damien with their laughter.

“Those are your friends?” She yelped.

The Ghost Host shrugged, sending a plume of darkness rolling off their wings. “ _When you’re a Greater Demon, you take what allies you can find. They may not be the prettiest to look at, but they are loyal and respect my orders. Now, let’s take a look at that arm._ ” Gingerly, the Ghost Host took Amity’s hand and leaned over to study the bleeding wound, brushing aside the tattered remains of her sleeve with slender clawed fingers.

“Luz!”

The human turned around and was tackled in a bear-hug by Willow and Gus, while King wrapped his arms around her leg.

“Are you okay?” Willow pulled back to look over her friend.

“I...think so...what happened to the Ghost Host?” She looked at the demon hunched over Amity. “It - they - she? Looks different.”

When the Ghost Host had taken form during the Bewitching Hour, its body had looked like nothing but a walking shadow that somehow found a way to leave the ground. The figure standing in front of her was much more than that; skin, muscles, and feathery wings, it was an actual living thing. Or, undead, but they felt warm when Luz had held onto them, so, did that mean it - they? - was alive in some way? The shadows that covered the body still made a fiery silhouette, but they now had the effect of fog spilling over from dry ice. Their horns reflected the lights of the ballroom, throwing the reflections off the curling surface while the wiry tail whipped along the floor, it’s jagged tip scraping the wood. Their eyes no longer looked like two glowing masses of light, they were legitimate roving orbs that took in every single detail of the injury done to Amity’s arm. When the Ghost Host growled, Luz could see their throat vibrate from the guttural sound.

“ _How much blood did he take from you?_ ”

Amity shook her head. “I don’t know,”

“ _Clearly enough to return to full power._ ” The Ghost Host’s eyes tightened with barely concealed rage as they looked from Amity to Luz and back. “ _I’m going to need you two to trust me with what I’m about to say. There’s not much time,_ ” To emphasize the point, a ray of Damien’s magic crashed against the vortex, making the Ghost Host glance up in annoyance. “ _I can heal you, all of you, but I’m going to need a drop of blood from the two of you to cast the spell. Your friends have already given theirs, but for my power to be strong enough, I’ll need yours too._ ”

It was then Luz saw each of her friends holding one hand palm up that sported a thin cut in the flesh, even King had a tiny red line on one paw. Luz met Amity’s eyes and saw the unspoken answer in them. She was terrified, but a fire burned in the amber that set Luz’s blood boiling, just like when Belos had taken Eda from her to be petrified. One way or another, this needed to end, and if all that was needed was a drop of blood, then so be it.

“Okay,” Luz held up her palm for the Ghost Host to see the jagged cut across the skin. “If that’s what it takes.”

Silently, the Ghost Host reached over and wrapped their long fingers around Luz’s hand, their eyes never leaving her face. She felt a gentle squeeze and they pulled back, a crimson smear painting their fingers, and did the same with Amity’s shoulder. Seeing her wince from the pain nearly sent Luz rushing over, but the Ghost Host released her and carefully pushed against Amity’s back so she was beside Luz.

“ _Everyone, please gather together, we must move quickly._ ” Another ray of magic hit the vortex and Luz saw the Ghost Host flinch. Placing their palms together, the demon closed their eyes and the shadows dancing along their body stilled. Suddenly, the sound of crackling electricity filled the air as a vibrant green energy flared out from their hands and traveled down their arms to their shoulders and spread along their wings. The Ghost Host’s eyes snapped open, blazing with light, and began to trace a massive circle in front of the group. Connecting the glowing line, the Ghost Host grasped the circle like a steering wheel and thrust it forward to encompass the group.

Luz yelped as warm air rushed all over her body and felt every single cut, bruise, and throbbing muscle, wash away. A brief pleasant sting, like the feeling of disinfectant on a paper cut, pricked at the scuff on her cheek and the puncture in her hand. When she blinked and looked down, she saw only the light, puckering skin of a fresh scar, and that was not all. The exhaustion from running, the need to catch her breath, was gone too. She felt rested, full of energy, and ready to fight. Turning to look at Amity, her jaw dropped at the sight of her completely healed shoulder, sporting a scar beneath the shredded sleeve. A chirp came from the floor and Artemis leapt into Amity’s arms, nuzzling her chin.

The Ghost Host hummed thoughtfully. “ _Something is missing...ah!_ ” They snapped their fingers and from across the room, Luz heard Basker yelp. Rex whizzed through the vortex and into the Ghost’s Host’s fingers. “ _Here we go,_ ” the demon handed the staff to her. “ _Now, let’s bring this curse to an end._ ” The vortex dropped to the floor and the Ghost Host turned on their heel to where Damien stood, two massive spell circles open behind him and a horde of zombies shambling out. Red light spilled from the witch’s eyes as he held his hands out from his sides, Basker circling around to stand behind him.

“Alright, Mezzanotte,” he growled. “Let’s see just what the Nowhere Demon can do.”

Chuckling, the Ghost Host lifted a hand and a circle of green light swirled over it. “ _Mezzanotte is dead. I am your host,_ ” Hand fisting around the magic, the Ghost Host dropped to a knee and slapped the ground, fingers splaying out to release the magical energy contained within. Slowly, the demon stood as they kept their hand open, and a long obsidian rod sprouted up and rose between their fingers. Snatching the staff from where it hovered, the Ghost Host spun it experimentally in their hand and rested it on their shoulder. “ _Your Ghost Host._ ”

If Damien was intimidated by the display of magic, Luz guessed he was doing a very good job hiding it, and she tightened her grip on Rex. She was ready to make this jerk, this pendejo, pay for everything he had done. As if he were reading her thoughts, Damien’s eyes slid to hers, narrowed for a moment, then flared with a sudden anger that set her on edge.

“...human…”

The Ghost Host, Luz, and Amity froze, as did the rest of Team Owlet, and she slowly reached up to touch her exposed ears. Somewhere during the tumble, her hoodie must have fallen. Damien stared at her in open shock that slowly simmered into a dark, murderous rage that made her want to hide behind the towering shadow demon like a child cowering behind its mother.

“Well, well, well, it all makes sense now. A Blight daughter and a human girl...quite the scandal.” Damien’s lips curled up into a grin that was just as demonic as the creature standing at Luz’s side. “I’ll admit, I thought it was simply a doomed pinning of young hearts in a forbidden affair. But, a human girl? That’s why you’ve been protecting them this whole time.”

“ _Be quiet, Pluto._ ”

Undeterred, Damien laughed and took a step forward. “You want them to be the vessels for Emilia and Chiaro souls to cross over. ‘Two hearts for two souls, love given new life. The willing shall dance by the end of the night’. Two puppets for the master to pull the strings. You see?” He pointed his cane at the Ghost Host, looking at Luz. “From the very start, your precious ‘Ghost Host’ has been lying to you! It never cared for you or your friends! It only did what was required to get you to where it needed to be, then use you for two trapped souls, all so it could be free of its guilt. Pathetic.”

Luz stared up at the Ghost Host, but they looked away. Her heart jolted at the sorrow tugging at those glowing eyes, the way they clenched the staff in their hand, how their wings slipped down to touch the floor. Feeling a hand slide into hers, Luz turned her head to see Amity looking at her with that half-smile that made her heart bounce around and her stomach quiver. Nodding, Luz smiled back and, leaning Rex against her chest, reached up and took hold of the Ghost Host’s hand. The demon jolted and looked down at her in surprise as she closed her much-smaller fingers around the larger ones, and smiled up at them. Feeling Amity tug at her arm, she watched the witch take a step forward and glare at Damien.

“Well, if that’s what it takes to break this curse, then fine by me!” Luz felt the satisfaction of seeing him blink in surprise at Amity’s words and could not help but smile. “You don’t care about anyone or anything but yourself! Ghost Host? They care about everyone! That’s why this mansion is still standing, why all the happy haunts here are happy, and why we’re still alive! Mezzanotte gave up her identity and her chance at crossing over just so someone would be around to keep the souls here safe and end this curse! So, if there is anyone here who should be called pathetic, it’s you!”

Damien’s mouth opened and closed as he struggled to find a response. Snickering, the Ghost Host slowly clapped and grinned proudly at Amity while Willow, Gus, Boacha, and Skara all cheered. Even Madame Leota nodded her head, a half-smirk tugging at her lips. Luz smiled widely and pulled Amity to her side, her nose brushing the pointed tip of her ear.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, mi amor.” Pressing her lips to Amity’s cheek, Luz giggled at the blush burning across her face and turned her gaze to Damien, setting Rex’s staff upright. “And that’s why Team Owlet is going to beat you and this curse once and for all! Oh, and those things you were saying about humans? Yeah, we can’t do magic like witches or demons, but there is one thing we can do that you can’t!”

Damien raised his eyebrows doubtfully. “And just what is that?”

Grinning, Luz handed Rex to a slightly-confused Amity and turned so her back was to the necromancer. “This!” She spun around, her eyelids flipped inside out, and pushed them up and down with her fingers. “Bleep, bloop, bleep!”

The Ghost Host stared at her, for the first time ever looking completely caught off-guard, and glanced at Amity. “ _Don’t let go of her, please?_ ”

Eyes wide with rage, Damien roared and slammed his cane to the floor, signaling the zombies to attack. As one, the corpses moaned and lumbered towards Team Owlet, arms raised and limp fingers grasping at the air. A deep chuckle rumbled in the Ghost Host’s chest as they hoisted their staff up and flipped it in their hands.

“ _What do you say ‘Team Owlet’? Shall we show this necromancer what happens when he challenges five witchlings, one human, an oracle, and two demons?_ ”

“I say, chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!!!” King bellowed, barreling straight at the zombies with his paws raised overhead.

“King!” Luz yelped, running after the tiny demon and stradling Rex mid-leap to take flight.

Amity sighed and traced a spell in the air. “Abomination, rise!” The purple gollum pulled itself up from the floor with a gurgling moan and looked to her for orders. “Abomination,” hearing Luz’s battle cry, Amity shook her head. “Save Luz and King.”

Head falling back as they laughed deeply, the Ghost Host lifted their staff and stared at Damien from across the growing mass of zombies. “ _Time for some fun._ ” Body disintegrating in a blur of shadow, the Ghost Host slithered beneath the shuffling feet of the undead and rose up to loom over Damien from the side. The necromancer spun around and the Ghost Host lifted their staff over their head before bringing it down. The magical staves met in a clash of magic, filling the room with a clap of thunder, and Damien stumbled back, trying to gather his bearings as the Ghost Host shot around him, ready to swing their staff his legs. Just barely catching them, Damien brought his cane up to stop the blow. Growling, he shoved the Ghost Host away and, drawing a spell circle, sent a charge of lightning that struck them square in the chest.

Hissing as they skidded back, the Ghost Host studied him from beneath half-lidded eyes, their weight swaying side to side. Smoke spilled from the dark tear over their chest where the magic had hit and the skin began to knit together. “ _Not bad, for a corpse raiser. Now, it’s my turn._ ” Green magic bled from the ends of the onyx-black staff to shape into two stiletto blades that flashed as the Ghost Host spun it like a windmill, creating a twister of light that spiraled out and rammed into Damien’s cane when his raised it for a shield. The witch grunted as it lifted him off the floor and a gigantic hand made of shadow shot out from the wall to grab hold and toss him back down. Managing to summon a spell before he hit the ground, Damien fell through the glowing circle and reappeared a few feet away. Realizing his opponent had vanished, he spun around to search for the towering demon. 

Slowly, the Ghost Host rose up from behind, leaning in so their mouth was next to his ear and grinned.

“ _Boo._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys didn’t mind this being a Ghost Host heavy chapter...an OC taking the spotlight is risky and I tend to avoid because it takes the attention away from our main characters. That being said, I hope you all liked it, because it’s thanks to you guys GH is who they are now.  
> Speaking of which, there are those of you who knew it all along who GH was, and you know who you are. I tried to shake you off the trail, but you were just too dang smart! Okay, I’m done rambling. If you like this, please also check out my other story, The Owl’s Apprentice, and I’ll see you soon! Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!  
> *Update* Commission by the amazingly talented @_jqube_


	13. Dance With the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Me writing last night: Okay, time to work more on the next Owl’s Apprentice chapter  
> Ghost Host: Don’t you want to keep writing more of Haunted Mansion instead?  
> Me: Yes, but, I don’t want to leave my other story alone! It needs to be finished! There’s still a lot of build up to finish.  
> GH: Yes, but this story is so close to the end. Wouldn’t you rather they see Luz and Amity -  
> Me: No spoilers!  
> *Fast forward three hours and one completed chapter later*  
> Me: I hate you.  
> GH: I know XD

The last thing Amity had expected when she got up that the morning was to be battling a horde of corpses, with Luz at her side, who was wielding the palisman of a witch-turned-demon. The fact she finally confessed the feelings she had hidden for so long to Luz seemed even more of the unlikely scenario, and what was even more outlandish was the fact Luz liked her back. Or, so she guessed. While Amity had no understanding of the strange human language Luz used periodically, she had to guess the term ‘ _ mi amor’ _ was not just a simple pet name used when addressing one’s friend. Assuming they all would be leaving this place alive, she would really need to ask Luz for a translation, and maybe try to find out how she could learn the human language herself. But for now, they had to survive their current predicament; battling an army of the undead.

“Amity! Duck!”

Amity did just that, in time for the beam of lavender-colored energy to shoot from the gaping maw of the cobra palisman in Luz’s hands to spear the corpse that had been looming over her moments before. Tracing a spell circle around her wrist, Amity flexed her hand and spun on her heel, standing as she did, ramming the stunned corpse’s chin with the heel of her palm. The burning head popped clean off its shoulders and sailed across the room like a grudgby ball, bouncing off another zombie’s head that was about to make a grab for Gus. The illusion student yelped and, in a puff of blue smoke, vanished and reappeared a few feet away. By some miracle, he had not yet dropped Madame Leota’s crystal ball.

“Behind you!” She yelled, and he ducked under a zombie’s arms. A vine snapped out from the floor to yank the corpse off its feet and hurl it into an approaching cluster that scattered them like pins.

“Thanks Willow!”

Watching the plant witch toss up her hand in quick acknowledgement, Amity turned her attention back to the group of corpses that had circled her and Luz, their backs pressed together. In a strange way, Amity thought it to be poetic that she was fighting alongside the one she had fallen so deeply for, who had taken a nose-dive off a chandelier in an attempt to save her. Granted, the Ghost Host had been the one who actually saved them, but the action taken by her human was very touching to say the least.

Her human. That made her smile.

Feeling Luz start to turn, Amity crouched down as another beam of magic shot over her head, then stood back up to release a ring of flames from her hands, catching any corpses that had managed to dodge Luz’s attack. A zombie moaned and reached out for her, but the black wood of Rex’s staff knocked the arm away as Luz swung it like a bat. From Amity’s shoulder, Artemis chirped a warning and Amity yanked Luz out from the grasp of another.

“There’s so many of them!” Luz gasped, wiping a sheen of sweat from her face. The Ghost Host had healed them and their exhaustion, but the duration of the battle was beginning to weigh on them.

Gritting her teeth, Amity drew a larger spell circle that wrapped around the two of them and lifted her hands. “Abomination, rise!” The floor beneath their feet trembled as a massive abomination, three times the size of the ones Amity normally created, rose up from the magical energy. Luz yelped as she was hoisted up by the creature’s hulking shoulders and quickly grabbed hold of Amity’s hand when she held it out. Keeping her other hand fisted on the back of the golem's head, Amity pulled Luz to her side. “Abomination, get us to safety.”

Moaning, the giant lumbered through the ring of corpses, crushing those in front of it and bowling over those that got too close to its feet. Grunting, Luz hauled herself up to rest on the abomination’s shoulder. “Whoo yeah! Go Willow! Get ‘em, Boscha! You show that corpse who’s boss, Skara! Nice one, Gus!”

Concentrating on maintaining control of the abomination, Amity was only able to pay attention to half of what was going on, but as the creature lumbered about the room, she managed to catch glimpses of their friends in various engagements of battling the corpses.

Willow had claimed the bottom of the spiral ramp and was summoning thorny vines left and right, throwing any unlucky corpses that met her sight across the room to either smash to pieces against the walls or into another stumbling group. No surprise, Skara managed to climb onto the stage where the band had been playing during the party and had enchanted all the instruments to play sub-sonic tunes that blasted the corpses to bits. Gus popped in and out of view all throughout the room, cradling Madame Leota’s crystal, shouting out the locations of their enemies to his friends. Amity had lost track of where King went, but if she had to guess, he probably found a safe enough place to hide. The only one not fighting the corpses was Boscha, for she had managed to single out Basker and was now dueling the three-headed palisman on her own, swinging Chiaro’s silver-bladed axe when the hound got to close, and throwing spells at its body from a safe enough distance. Then of course, there was the Ghost Host and Damien.

An explosion shook the room, forcing Luz and Amity to cling to the abomination’s body, and a dark shape sailed through the air to crash into a delicately painted column set into a section of the wall. Slowly, the Ghost Host teetered from where they had been thrown and toppled onto the floor, leaving a very distinctive imprint in the paint and plaster. Groaning, the demon sat back on their knees, holding their horned head.

“ _ Ow...now that one hurt… _ ”

Red light flared from the settling dust cloud and the Ghost Host’s wings snapped open to push them off the floor just in time for the stream of flames that landed where they had been. The abomination reared back from Amity’s command to get away, and Damien appeared from the haze, his eyes burning with magic. Feeling a brush of wind against her neck, Amity glanced up to see the Ghost Host hovering above them, their massive wings stroking the air as they watched the necromancer, the simple black staff held tightly in their hands. When Damien was at the distance they were waiting for, the Ghost Host drew a spell circle and a mass of shadowy tendrils rose up from the floor to wrap around him like a cocoon and loop over his head as he struggled against their grasp.

“ _ That should hold him for a moment, _ ” the Ghost Host slipped down so they were eye-level with Luz and Amity. “ _ Are you both alright? _ ”

“Estoy bien!” Luz gave them a thumbs up and Ghost Host nodded.

“ _ Buono. Miss Blight? _ ”

Amity blinked at the two of them. “Um, I’m good.”

“ _ Excellent, _ ”

A muffled boom resonated from the shadows wrapped around Damien, making them flinch. Hearing a groan, Amity looked down at a group of corpses trying to climb her abomination’s legs. Before she could command it to shake them off, the Ghost Host snapped their fingers and a horde of shadow creatures swarmed them, pulling the zombies away. “Is there no end to these things?”

“ _ So long as there is dead matter that exists close by, Damien will have what he needs to create his army.” _ Snarling, the Ghost Host lifted their arms and dropped in the air to kneel down, slamming the butt of their staff to the floor, sending a shockwave of green flames to slice through the corpses that were headed towards Willow. Luz cried out a warning as a corpse leapt onto the Ghost Host’s back, pulling the demon by their horns and making them howl with rage. There was a flash as their tail snapped up and the jagged tip pierced the corpse between the shoulder blades, instantly engulfing it in the same black fire as before. Magic swirled around the staff and the Ghost Host threw their arm at an approaching corpse, the staff elongating into a whip that snared the undead body. Pivoting on their heel, the Ghost Host grasped the staff with both hands and flung the corpse across the room against Daimen, who had managed to break free of the shadow cocoon. Opening their wings, the demon shot into the air, throwing the other corpses back with powerful gusts. Their eyes snapped to Amity’s and, in a blur, flew over the abomination to intercept a beam of magic that knocked them into, and through, the gooey chest.

Amity and Luz yelped as the golem crumbled apart and Rex’s hood flared open, lifting them both into the air as Luz grasped hold of Amity’s hand and pulled her up onto the staff. More magic flew at them as Damien drew circle after circle to attack, his eyes fixed on the pair with pure hatred. An ear-splitting roar filled the air as the Ghost Host swung the tip of their staff along the ground to draw a massive circle that erupted into a wall of what looked like green lightning to shield the pair. Damien lunged back from the collection of magic, drawing another circle as the Ghost Host charged through the lightning wall, just missing the necromancer as he disappeared into the spell on the floor.

“Not good enough,”

Bands of light lashed around the Ghost Host’s wrists and chest, trapping their wings awkwardly to their back as they were jerked to the floor. Damien appeared behind the demon and flicked his wrist for a glowing red blade to appear on the end of his cane. Carefully stepping over the swinging tail, he walked around to stand in front of the Ghost Host and held the blade to their throat.

“I’m impressed, Mezzanotte, you’ve put up quite the fight. But is it really worth it?” He gestured over his shoulder to Luz and Amity, frozen in the air, not sure what to do. “For the sake of a human and a witch to be together? You’re just repeating the same mistake you made all those years ago. Who's to say it will even happen? Why fight for something you don’t know anything about?”

The Ghost Host growled and pulled at their bonds. “ _ Because I chose to believe, and because they deserve a chance. All of these souls here had a chance at life, but that was taken from them. I will not stand by and let history repeat itself because of my cowardice! _ ” The bands snapped and the demon lunged at Damien with outstretched claws.

“What a pity,” the necromancer thrust his cane up and the red blade pierced through the Ghost Host’s chest. The entire room dropped into a deathly silence. Even the corpses stopped to turn around to stare at the magical stiletto sticking out between the trembling wings. Eyes wide, the Ghost Host looked down at the cane and up, not at Damien, but to Amity and Luz.

Amity felt Luz’s body shudder, covering her mouth to keep from gasping in shock, but all the witch could do was stare at the demon. Gold and crimson locked with amber, holding for a single moment, and the Ghost Host collapsed into shadow.

“No!” Luz screamed, hardly giving Amity the time to hold on when the staff rocketed straight down and crashed into Damien from behind, throwing him face down. Before he could get up, Luz slapped a plant glyph to the floor and vines snared his arms and legs, yanking him around and to his knees when he tried to stand. Ripping the staff out from beneath, Luz swung it upwards, stopping so Rex’s mouth was right under his chin. “What did you do?”

“Luz!” Amity grabbed her shoulder, but when she saw the look in the human’s eyes, she flinched back. Her eyes had gone completely dark, her pupils blown wide with rage, and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Never before had Amity seen Luz look so...dangerous. It frightened her. “Luz, it’s okay,” she said slowly, walking behind her and wrapping her arms around her, pressing her forehead between Luz’s shoulder blades. “The Ghost Host is undead, they can’t be hurt.” Her shoulders tightened when she heard Damien laugh.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that Amity,”

There was a loud crack of wood hitting bone and Luz snarled, lowering the staff. “You don’t get to talk to her. What. Did. You. Do?”

Chuckling, Damien rolled his head and spat on the floor, spittle and blood maring the pristine surface from his broken lip. “You see,  _ human _ , when the undead drink the blood of the living, it transforms them. Restoring not just the powers they once possessed, but also the life force they had.” He looked up at Luz with a knowing gleam. “No longer dead, but alive once again. In order for their magic to be restored, the Nowhere Demon had to return to a living form.”

Feeling Luz stiffen, Amity tightened her hold and closed her eyes, and the human shook her head.

“No, no, Ghost Host is way too strong to just die like that! You’re lying! You did something! Where are they?”

Damien shrugged. “Most likely, Mezzanotte returned to the Chaos Realm. Don’t bother trying to bring her back though, only a real Greater Demon can break the barrier between worlds, and Mezzanotte was never a Greater Demon.” The vines holding him ignited in flames and the necromancer stood up, releasing a shockwave of power that sent Luz and Amity sailing back, skidding painfully along the floor.

“Luz!” Gus yelled.

“Amity!” Willow screamed.

Amity heard Boscha cry out and a massive shape loomed over them, planting heavy paws on the floor to trap them in place. Basker’s three heads snarled down at the girls as Damien strolled up behind them, and she felt Artemis huddle in her collar.

“You’re a persistent bunch, but I’m afraid we have to cut this short. Why don’t we start with you?” The glowing red blade sprang from Damien’s cane as he walked to Luz’s side. Amity’s eyes widened and she began to draw a spell, but Basker caught her hands in a paw. “I think it’s time you said your goodbyes now, human.” Raising the cane, Damien tilted his head as if studying Luz for a moment, and brought it down.

A column of green flames and lightning crashed into him, throwing him across the room and through the main doors that opened when he slammed into them, and instantly snapped shut when he vanished into the hall beyond. All three of Basker’s heads whipped around in shock as it tried to find where its master went, then looked back down at the girls it stood over. Its eyes fixed on the pair with a decisive look that said it would do the job itself. However, as the hound opened its jaws, something huge, black, and dripping with shadows tackled the palisman from the side, knocking Basker off Luz and Amity.

Amity sat up and stared, open-mouthed, as the palisman fought tooth and claw with a very different-looking, but very much alive, Ghost Host. The wings were gone, replaced by a second pair of arms identical to the first, giving the demon a spidery appearance as they paced back and forth in front of Basker on hands and feet, their limbs bending to allow them to move about with an almost feline grace. Tail lashing side to side, the Ghost Host leaned back for a split second and lunged at Basker, ramming their head against the hound’s chest. Basker rose up on its hind feet and pawed at the demon, jaws snapping at any opening it tried to find, but the Ghost Host fought to match every attempt. Snarling, Basker swiped at their arms and sank its teeth into the Ghost Host’s shoulder. With a roar, the Ghost Host grasped Basker’s shoulders and ripped the palisman off, hurling it into a wall where it slumped in a heap. Slowly, the Ghost Host dropped to rest on their hands and turned to Luz and Amity, shadows spilling from the wound on their shoulder like fog. The moment their eyes fell on them, the primal rage faded and they took a hesitant step forward, hugging their second pair of arms to their stomach.

“ _ Are you both al- _ ”

Luz didn’t give them a chance to finish the sentence as she ran forward to grab the demon in a hug that Amity would have guessed was suffocating, considering her arms were wrapped around their throat, but Ghost Host didn’t seem to mind. Blinking, the demon looked down at Luz, then carefully wrapped all four of their arms around her. Amity held back for a moment, until the Ghost Host looked up at her and held out hand, then she ran into it and Luz’s embrace.

“Thank Titan,” she whispered, feeling the soft vibrations of the demon’s purr and its arm tightened around her. Either it was her imagination, or she could hear a steady heartbeat through the deep purr.

“ _ Va tutto bene, tesoros. _ ” She heard the demon whisper and Luz pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

“How? I thought you were dead...again.”

“ _Please, do you really think I’d be that easy to kill?_ _That was just a shadow puppet.”_

Amity stared at the demon’s chest, unmarred and completely whole. “But, Damien-”

“ _Damien consumed the blood of just one witch. I consumed the blood of five witches, a demon, and a human._ ” Grinning, the Ghost Host wiped a tear from Luz’s cheek. “ _Seven hearts, for one being. Not to mention humans are the tenacious and spirited sort. Something Damien could never understand._ _But he was correct about rejoining the living, and that’s how we’re going to defeat him._ ”

Amity stared at the demon. “What do you mean?”

“ _ I think it’d be best if your friends were with us for this. _ ” The Ghost Host snapped their fingers and, in an instant, Boscha, King, Willow, Gus, and Skara appeared in a flash of shadows.

“Whoa,” Willow held her head. “Next time, warn us before you do that.”

“ _ I’m sorry, but this has to happen quick, _ ” The Ghost Host glanced over their shoulder to the main doors that were already shaking from the magical assault no doubt hitting them from the other side. “ _ I know of how we can defeat Damien, but to do so, I’m going to need all of your help. This is not like before when you gave me your blood, this will involve each of your magical strengths. Luz, _ ” the demon grabbed her shoulder and met her eyes. “ _ Do you remember when I showed you and Amity Emilia’s room? _ ”

“Yeah,” Luz nodded.

“ _ Good. Do you remember the staff Amity found? I need you to get it and bring it back here. _ ”

At that, Luz blinked. “Okay...why?”

“ _ Because the spell that we’ll need to cast will require the power of three magic staffs, and unfortunately, Chiaro’s axe does not count, even if wielded by a witch. _ ” The Ghost Host shot a quick look at Boscha, who shrugged. “ _ We have Artemis, Emilia’s palisman, but we’ll need the interlock to unleash the full potential of his magic. You have my witch staff, Rex, and I have my demon staff, but we need one more. _ ” The doors shuddered again and a glowing red crack fissured along the surface. Growling, the Ghost Host turned back to Luz, but their eyes took in the surrounding members of Team Owlet. “ _ If we do this right, we can break this curse and you all can finally go home. All I ask is for you to trust me. _ ”

Amity met Luz’s eyes when the human turned to her and she nodded, meeting the Ghost Host’s gaze. “I’ll do it.”

“Same here.” Said Willow.

“Count me in!” Gus and King chimed.

“I don’t really have a choice now, do I?” Madame Leota sighed, tilting her head in what must have been her version of a shrug.

Skara and Boscha looked at each other and the three eyed witch sighed. “We’ve come this far, it’d be pretty crappy if we didn’t stick it out to the end. But don’t take it to mean we’re friends now, Round Ears. I still don’t like you.”

“Boscha,” Luz looked at her with shining eyes. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said.”

“Don’t push it.”

“ _ All this camaraderie has me feeling so sentimental, I’m afraid my tears will stain my cheeks. _ ”

Amity snorted at the Ghost Host’s deadpanned tone and stepped up, feeling Artemis’ tail wrap around the back of her neck. “Okay, what do you want us to do?”

The demon rubbed their chin thoughtfully, glancing around the room at the curiously sentient corpses that were no doubt waiting for their master’s command. Basker had backed into a corner, growling deeply as it watched the group, its eyes darting back and forth between them and the doors. Turning back to Luz, Amity could see something stirring within the Ghost Host’s gaze that had her feeling uneasy.

“ _ Luz, exactly how good are you at...distracting others? _ ”

Amity could not stop the unexpected laughter that bubbled out of her throat and had her doubling over, much to everyone’s surprise, and Luz’s embarrassment.

“C’mon, Amity, it’s not that funny.”

“Oh, no, it’s hysterical.” Gasping, Amity wiped at the few stray tears and looked up at the Ghost Host, whose face was nothing if not purely amused.

“ _ I would call that a big yes. _ ” Leaning forward so they were eye-level with the human, Ghost Host placed their hands on her shoulders. “ _ I’m going to need you to goad Damien into chasing you. Get him lost in the mansion, and once you’ve shaken him, go to Emilia’s room and retrieve her staff, then hurry back here as fast as you can. Once we have the staff, we can complete the spell and be rid of Damien forever. It’s risky, dangerous, and completely insane, _ ”

“You basically described Luz in a nutshell,” King piped up, earning a glare from the human and Ghost Host chuckled.

“ _ Don’t worry, tesoro, I won’t let you go off without some...help. _ ” One of the arms tucked against their stomach unfurled and a green spell circle appeared in its palm. “ _ I’ve been watching your glyph magic, very impressive, just like Chiaro. If you’re willing, I can give you one that Chiaro and I created, one he had been planning to use to help Emilia run away with him… _ ” the demon looked down for a moment as if caught up in the memory, then looked at Luz. “ _ Will you accept it? _ ”

“Are you kidding me? Of course I would!” Digging through her pockets, Luz pulled out the small handful of glyphs remaining from the night’s events, fingering through them for a blank sheet. “Um, hang on one sec, I thought I had a free page on my pad somewhere.”

“ _ Oh, this one does not require paper. _ ” Carefully, the Ghost Host took Luz’s left wrist to turn it over, and pressed the spell circle against the back of her hand. There was a brief flash of light and, when Amity was able to look, she saw a faint circle inked into Luz’s skin. An intricate glyph traced itself inside the circle, reminding her of the flag for the Abomination Coven, only, there was no face, just a rotund shape with the bottom seemingly shaped into a ghostly tail. With it was a rectangle on its side, a figure eight sitting on top, and a straight line running down from the opposite side, and a strange S-shaped line cutting down the middle, two dots opposite each other tucked in the curves.

Luz brought her hand up to her face and stared at the dizzying mess of lines and symbols, her eyes running all over them as she tried to take in every minute detail. “Whoa...now that’s cool.”

“ _ Call it the Phantom Glyph. With this, you can become invisible and phase through solid objects at will, but, _ ” The Ghost Host held up a finger before Luz could go completely ballistic with excitement. “ _ This is a one-time use. Once you return to corporeal form, the glyph’s magic will end. Whatever you are holding when you activate the glyph will become invisible and phase with you, but anything else will not, therefore, when you find the staff, you’ll have to break the spell. So, make sure Damien does not know where you are when you end the magic.  _ ”

Nodding, Luz lifted Rex and straddled the staff as it lifted off the floor. “You got it, GH.”

“ _ G...H…? _ ”

“Luz,” Amity grabbed her non-glyph hand, trying her best not to flinch when the doors thudded again, and Ghost Host gestured for the team to get ready to fight, leaving them together. How badly she wanted to go with her, to make sure she would stay safe. Titan, it killed her to think of the human girl whom she felt so strongly for, who - dare she admit, loved? - have to go on her own. “I - we’ve been with each other the whole night, I - I’m not sure what I’ll do without you. Just, please promise me,” she tightened her hold on Luz’s hand and looked down, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. “Promise, you’ll come back alive and in one piece. Because if you don’t, then so help me Titan, when I come on the other side, I’ll be kicking your butt for all eternity.” When she looked up, those chocolate brown eyes were staring into her with pure adoration and Luz pulled her hand out from under Amity’s to lift her chin up, and she leaned in close.

“Are you saying you’re worried about me, mi amor?” The teasing tone combined with that trouble-making grin had Amity’s heart jumping all about her chest, and the feeling of Luz’s warm breath against her lips turned her stomach into a quivering mess.

Swallowing with an extremely dry throat, Amity forced her eyes to stay with Luz and pulled the staff closer as she matched that trickster-grin. “Considering your track record, human, it’s a Titan-given miracle that this mansion is still standing.” She whispered.

The doors shuddered again, but neither of them cared, all that seemed to exist at the moment was the two of them, and the magical staff keeping Luz hovering just a few feet off the ground. With uncharacteristic caution, Amity felt Luz’s hand drift out from under her chin to the side of her head, her fingers brushing the pointed tip of her ear, making it twitch, and curved around the back of her head, lightly playing with the short ponytail she always kept her hair pulled back in.

“Amity,” Luz’s voice shook as she drifted just a bit closer. “I - before anything else happens, what you said to me earlier in the hallway, when we were getting away from Damien? I - I just want to tell you I -”

Tugging the staff, Amity stood on her toes and, closing her eyes, pressed her lips to Luz’s, feeling the blazing warmth of a blush rush across her cheeks, but that didn’t stop her. For a second, she felt Luz stiffen in surprise and the pang of regret that she might have acted too soon lodged in her chest. But, before she could pull away, she felt Luz’s hand slip down to the back of her neck and pull her in close, the corners of her mouth curling up in a smile. It didn’t matter if they were surrounded by an army of corpses controlled by a bloodthirsty necromancer that wanted them dead, or a powerful demon that wanted the Isles’ only human to go on a dangerous mission to retrieve a broken staff for what was no doubt a forbidden spell. All that mattered was the two of them, together, in their single pocket of peace. It was everything Amity had ever wanted. With great reluctance, Amity pulled away and settled back on her heels, looking up at a very-stunned Luz from beneath her lashes with a small-half smile painted on her face.

“I love you too, Luz. Now,” she squeezed her hand. “Go get that interlock.”

Luz snapped her mouth shut and, nodding, slapped the glyph on her hand. “I’m goin’ ghost!” Green light flared from the symbol and spread all along her body, disappearing as the light covered her until all Amity could see was a slight warping of the air in front of her. There was a light gust of wind that tickled her hair and a soft pair of lips pressed against hers.

“Dios mio, te quiero mucho.”

The doors to the ballroom exploded off their hinges, revealing Damien silhouetted in his rust-red magic that rippled about him like flames. His eyes instantly scanned the group before him. “Where is that human?!” His eyes widened and he glared murderously at the Ghost Host. “YOU! Why aren’t you dead yet?”

“ _ Funny question there, because I never really was dead. You just assumed that when I fell through that portal. But now, _ ” the Ghost Host held out its arms, the second pair retracting within its sides as its massive wings flared out from its back, and its legs snapped together to merge into a ghostly tail. “ _ I’ve never been more alive. So, why don’t you have some fun with us, Damien? It’ll be a real scream. _ ”

Damien roared and thrust his cane forward, sending a storm of magical energy straight at the team, only for the Ghost Host to raise their staff and split the burning mass to go around them. The necromancer snarled and yelled a command to Basker in a language Amity had not heard. Howling, the main head of the palisman pulled from the hulking body and attached itself to the interlock, leaving the two Basker clones to charge at the group. There was a sudden rush of wind and Amity watched the space before her move as Luz shot over them and through the main doors, ramming into Damien’s shoulder to knock him over. One of the Basker clones barked at the invisible shape and Damien stood up, his glowing eyes searching the space above.

“Clever human, but you won’t get away from me!” Running down the hall, Damien held out his cane for it to elongate into a full staff, straddling it mid-leap, and flew away.

Amity clenched her fists, the urge to chase after them so strong, but felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at the Ghost Host.

“ _ Don’t worry, tesoro, Luz is a skilled witch, she will outsmart Damien before he can get to her. Besides, this house has a mind of its own, it will keep her safe. Now, if we want to help her, we’ll need to be ready for her return. _ ”

Nodding, Amity summoned her fire spell and stared down the surrounding corpses and Basker clones. “What do you want me to do?”

The demon purred thoughtfully and fixed her with a devious grin. “ _ I gave your human a powerful new glyph, so I’d say it would only seem fair if I taught you a new spell too. What say you in learning some shadow magic? _ ”

Amity met the demonic grin with one of her own. “Sounds fun.” And unleashed her spells on the corpses, the feel of Luz’s kiss still warm on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re almost there, gang! A new glyph for Luz, a Lumity kiss, and one final race through the mansion. What’s going to happen next, you wonder? Stay tuned!


	14. Friends on the Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GH: My, my, you certainly cranked this one out fast. I wonder why?  
> SWolf: I’m not saying anything.  
> GH: You wouldn’t happen to have something else planned now, would you?  
> SWolf: I SAID I’m not saying anything!  
> GH: And yet you had ‘Just Friends’ by Meelz on repeat while you were writing. Curious.  
> SWolf: Don’t make me get a silver mirror, cuz I will if you don’t stop!  
> GH: Is this because of the new special you’re planning?  
> SWolf: THAT’S IT!  
> *SWolf chases GH around apartment with silver mirror in hand to trap them*  
> Trigger Warning: This chapter is rated T for blood, frightening images, and a scene of torture

Out of all the experiences Luz had had during her time in the Demon Realm, flying through a haunted mansion, a _living_ haunted mansion, was something she had to chalk up as being one of the weirdest. And she’d swapped bodies with the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles for a day. The fact she was actually flying through the walls because of the Phantom Glyph was even weirder, but also super fun. Had it not been she was being chased around by a maniacal undead necromancer who wanted to legitimately kill her, Luz would have enjoyed it even more. At least she was invisible, so that counted for something. Now if only she could remember where in this _loco_ house Emilia’s room was…

Clearly, Rex was going to have to be her guide on this one. The palisman rocketed down the main hall from the ballroom faster than ever before, making Luz wonder who would win in a race if Owlbert was involved. No one could see her, but she could see herself, albeit, the green light coursing from the glyph on her hand had encased her in what was almost like a second layer of skin. It didn’t give her the feel of being invisible, or being able to pass through solid objects, but when the hall turned a sharp right and she forgot to steer, Luz sailed right through. It tickled.

Tightening her hold on the staff, Luz leaned forward so she was almost laying on her belly to gain more momentum as Rex flew through the room they had passed through and out onto the main entryway of the mansion. Instantly, the palisman swerved around and went up one of the twin sets of stairs leading to the west wing of the mansion. Hearing the sound of creaking metal, Luz glanced over her shoulder at the two suits of armor flanking the entrance to the hall. The helmets rotated at the sound of Damien fast approaching, one Luz noticed looked slightly charred and dented, the other had a massive hole in its chest, and they raised their halberds. As soon as Damien exited the hall, the armored statues swung, knocking the necromancer off his staff and sending him straight into the entryway doors.

Luz winced. _Ooooohhh, that’s going to leave a mark._

Rex surged down the hall, leaving the sound of magical bursts and tearing metal behind. Now was not the time to dawdle, they needed to get to Emila’s room and get that staff! The hallways twisted and turned in a dizzying labyrinth that set Luz on edge. Her brain wanted to believe that this was a dream, none of this could be real, even on the Boiling Isles. Yet, as Luz continued on through the topsy-turvy pattern that only Rex seemed to understand, she hoped it wasn’t a dream. After all, if it were a dream, then wouldn’t that mean what happened between her and Amity was a dream too?

Luz couldn't help but press her fingers to her lips where, moments ago, Amity had kissed her. Nothing she had read; in all of her Azura novels, the fan fictions she followed, graphic novels, or even what she had seen in movies and tv shows, could have prepared her for the literal wave of emotions that had almost knocked her off the staff. The soft, tender way their lips had melded together, the overwhelming warmth that turned her gut into a pile of mush, her desire to pull Amity’s body as close to hers as possible and not let go, it was a wonder to Luz she was even still alive. Not only that, but the fact Amity had told her she loved her? She, Amity Blight, was in love with Luz Noceda. Just like Luz Noceda was in love with Amity Blight. Yup, she admitted to herself, she was in love with a witch.

 _Who woulda thought?_ Feeling like the biggest dope in the world, Luz grinned and urged Rex on. The sooner they got that staff back to Ghost Host, the sooner she would be back with Amity. Granted, once this curse was broken and they could go home, how would things be with Amity’s parents? That made Luz’s heart shudder and she gripped the staff. There was a reason why Amity hadn’t yet introduced Luz to Mama and Papa Blight, and she was in no eager rush to meet them herself.

“HUMAN!”

 _Uh-oh._ Luz looked over her shoulder to see a surge of rust-colored magic swelling around the corner she had passed, and quickly turned Rex into the wall at their side. Wood and wallpaper blurred in her vision as she flew through the surface into what looked like a very big linen closet. Large white sheets had been folded in precise neat squares, covered with centuries of dust that tickled at Luz’s nose.

 _Don’t sneeze, don’t sneeze...don’t..._ Wrinkling her face, Luz placed a finger under her nose in what she hoped would keep her from making a sound. On the other side of the wall, she heard what was no doubt Damien flying by, and sighed with relief. _That was close._

“ACHOO!!!” Luz felt Rex tense under her and she sighed. _Mierda._

The door to the closet was ripped off its hinges and Luz braced herself as Damien appeared in the doorway, his glowing eyes scanning the room. Even though she was invisible, Luz had a feeling he would know where she was, and the moment he looked at her spot, she exploded forward. The sensation of passing through another person, semi-living or not, just felt wrong.

 _Blaugh!_ Luz shivered all the way down to her toes, not even bothering to follow the hallways now that she had given away where she was. Catching his stance, Damien jumped back onto his staff and bolted down the hall, and Luz had a feeling he was going in the direction she was. Waiting until she hoped there was enough space between them, Luz turned to the right and passed through the rooms, briefly going through a hallway, and into more rooms. Oh yeah, she was lost.

_Great, how am I going to know when I find Emilia’s room now?_

Right on cue, Luz flew into a large room full of lavender and silver colors, and Rex came to a dead-stop, leaving the human to continue forward and come crashing to a halt on the carpet. Or, whatever the ghostly version of a crash was, considering the fact one leg was sticking through a wall and her entire left arm, and her right hand, were dangling through the floor into the ceiling of whatever room was below. For probably the first time that night, Luz was happy Amity was not here to see her like this. At least she didn’t feel any pain, so clearly there were more pros than cons to this glyph. Grunting, Luz did her best to sit up without her butt sinking through the floor, feeling a lot like she was on top of the ball pit at Hoo-Ha the Owl’s Pizzaria Jamboree. Which meant it was not easy to move. Finally, Luz managed to figure out a way to get her feet to stick on the carpet and stood up to look around.

Emilia’s room looked just like it had when Luz and Amity had listened to the Ghost Host’s tale only a few hours ago. Funny that it felt much longer than that after all that happened since. The couch they had sat on that Ghost Host conjured was still in the middle of the room, but now Rex was hovering over it, visible and corporeal. Luz immediately looked at the bedroom door and sighed with relief to see it was closed. Damien must still be looking for her, so that meant she still had some time. Turning around, Luz saw the staff that must have been Emilia’s resting against the desk and ran over to it. Really, it was more like a slow-motion type of run that had her feet floating a couple inches off the floor. Luz couldn’t help the startled squeak of surprise as she wavered about, continuing to float upwards the harder she peddaled her feet. Tilting forward, Luz began to swing her arms and legs in a very haphazard version of the breast stroke, something she remembered from her summertime swimming lessons, and was thrilled to find she was moving forward.

 _This is so cool!_ She grinned, drifting under the canopy of Emilia’s four-poster bed. _Now all I need to make myself solid again and then I can grab the staff!_ The glyph fizzled out as the green light surrounding her disappeared and Luz dropped like a rock, belly-slamming onto the cobweb-encrusted bedding and sending clouds of dust everywhere. From the center of the room, Rex made a curious hissing sound that Luz could only guess was laughter. Cheeky little bugger.

“ _Ay.._.” Inching her way across the mattress, Luz rolled off to land on her feet and grabbed the polished wood of Emilia’s staff, seeing the interlock gleam in the faint beams of light currently being cast from Rex’s eyes. “Alright bud,” she hefted the stave over her shoulder and hurried to the waiting palisman. “Let’s get out of here.” Taking hold of Rex, Luz jogged to the bedroom door and pulled it open.

Damien loomed over her and smiled. “Knock knock.”

* * *

The Basker clone lunged at the Ghost Host, swinging a massive paw as it attempted to bat away their staff. Flipping the weapon in their hands, the Ghost Host lifted it with one end cupped in their palm and the other jabbed against the hound’s chest. Green lightning flared from the tip and sent the hound across the room, mowing through a cluster of zombies that made the mistake of lumbering in that direction. Sliding the staff so they were holding onto one end, the Ghost Host crouched down and swung the weapon low to the floor in a circle, taking out the ankles of every single corpse circling them. Pulling their lip back in a snarl, the demon looked over the mass of swaying heads and sprang over the grasping hands, landing with silent grace beside Amity.

“For a two hundred year old ghost demon, you certainly know how to fight.” She said, hurling twin balls of flames at some zombies that were trying to grab hold of Skara and Willow. King held onto her shoulders, cradling Artemis in his arms.

“ _Two hundred and twenty eight, thank you very much._ ” The Ghost Host corrected, drawing a spell circle that enveloped three corpses in green flames. “ _What did you think I was doing all those years while caring for the happy haunts? Even the dead can get restless, considering we don’t eat or sleep._ ”

Amity side-stepped a zombie’s fingers and swatted it away with a giant abomination hand. “Good point. But then, what was with the party we saw earlier?”

 _“That was the magic of the Bewitching Hour,_ ” Flexing their hands, Amity watched two massive shadows shoot up from the floor and swing about like tentacles that sent even more corpses flying around the room, following the Ghost Host’s movement. “ _For that one hour, they get to remember what it was like to be alive again, to feel like a living being. The Bewitching Hour does not come every night, so when it does, they enjoy it for all it’s worth._ ” An ear twitched and the Ghost Host wrapped an arm around Amity’s waist, making her and King yell as it darted up into the air to soar to a remotely free section of the ballroom. “ _Alright,_ _are you ready for your magic lesson?_ ”

“What?” Amity stared at the demon as they set her down beside the center of the spiral pattern painted into the floor. “Here? Now?”

“ _Would you rather I not teach you a new spell?_ ” The Ghost Host tilted their head at her, and she frowned.

“No, I want to! You just, I wasn’t expecting you to do...that.” She gestured to where they had just flown from.

The Ghost Host shrugged. “ _Fair enough. I’ll give you a warning next time we need to make a sudden departure. Now, watch closely, and I’ll show you the art of Shadow Magic._ ” Raising its hands, the Ghost Host traced two simple spell circles, one in front of it and the other pointed towards the floor. “ _Because you’ll be starting with the basics, you will need to direct your magic from the source of the shadow you are controlling to channel it through your magic. For example: I take the shadows cast on the floor,_ ” Amity watched as a thick mass of shadow rose up from the floor into the spell above it, disappearing into the glowing ring. “ _And command it where I want it to go._ ” The same shadow mass shot out of the ring held out before the Ghost Host, transforming into a thick tendril that lashed out like a whip to yank the legs of a zombie out from under its body and chuck it sideways. “ _Remember, you must give the shadow a form to take, something tangible that your mind can focus on and hold. Without shape, it is nothing more than the shadow you pulled from the ground._ ”

Amity gaped at the demon and at her own, significantly smaller, shadow. “But, shadows don’t have any mass, they aren’t solid, tangible objects. How can I turn nothing into something? It defies any logical formula.”

“ _And that is the beauty of Shadow Magic, because it’s your will that gives it that solid form. Just like how you can create an abomination out of seemingly thin air. You may not have to tote the physical formula around anymore to conjure one, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create one. And, do you know why?_ ”

That was a question Amity could have easily answered in her sleep and she cocked an eyebrow. “Because I’ve passed to the level where I represent the formula, therefore, I call upon the essence of the ingredients and the command set into them to bring my abomination to life.”

“ _Exactly! So,_ ” Moving so they stood behind her, the Ghost Host leaned forward and lifted Amity’s arms to mimic how they had stood moments before, one hand held out in front with the other pointed at the floor. “ _Just like when you call on your abomination, you must first imprint your will into the spell. Shadows are slippery and can be easily...distracted. You need to hold onto them with everything you have, but not too much, or else they will break. Keep your grasp firm, but leave just enough room for the imagination to flow. Now, take a deep breath, and let your mind clear._ ”

Inhaling deep into her stomach, Amity slowly exhaled through her mouth.

“ _Feel the shadows around you. Not just on the ground, but hiding in the corners, the loft of the ceiling, beneath the furniture, inside the chimney. They are waiting to be given form, waiting for a voice to direct them, the chance to come out and play. There are secrets only they know, so listen to them._ ”

Whispers, that was what Amity could hear. Like a breeze, they drifted all about her, swirling around her head and in her ears. “They sound...excited?”

“ _What else?_ _Don’t try to understand, just listen._ ”

Taking another deep breath, Amity let her thoughts fade away as the whispers continued. “I think...they want my magic to turn them into something, but, they don’t know what.”

“ _What do you think?_ ”

Amity looked over her shoulder at the Ghost Host and smiled. “I think I know.” Turning around, she spotted the second Basker clone advancing on Gus, whose back was turned to it as he was currently engaged with a cluster of zombies, Leota’s crystal ball still in his hands. Magenta light blazed from her fingers as she traced two spell circles and felt the cold rush of the darker magic shiver along her skin. “Shadow, rise!”

A lumbering figure rose up from the ground in front of the witch and she gasped, not out of horror, but pure surprise. It looked every bit like an abomination, but instead of the familiar purple goop, its entire body rippled with the flame-like visage of the shadows that made it. Three lopsided eyes that glowed with Amity’s magic blinked at her and it moaned, but in her mind, Amity heard a single question.

What was her command?

Her eyes snapped to the hound creeping on the unsuspecting Gus, and the shadow rotated its head around, and shot forward, scooping the Basker clone off its paws in a rolling tackle that sent them both tumbling away. Gus whirled around, Leota half-raised over his head, and looked at Amity.

“What the Titan was that?”

All Amity could do was shrug. “Shadow magic?” She looked up at the Ghost Host and the demon grinned.

“ _Brava, Miss Amity, brava. How about we utilize more of your skill to keep these pesky corpses at bay while I prepare the spell?_ ”

“You got it!” Drawing more spell circles, Amity summoned shadow after shadow and felt the Ghost Host’s presence leave her back. As much as she wanted the strange comfort of the demon close by, she kept her focus on sending shadows, abominations, and fire balls left and right, keeping the space around them clear. The signature sound of magic activating had her pause for a moment to glance over her shoulder to see what the Ghost Host was up to.

Setting the tip of their staff to the floor, the Ghost Host moved in a circle to trace out a massive spell ring, the magic igniting as the line was completed. The Ghost Host then did the same maneuver, but drew a slightly smaller circle within the first. They then proceeded to begin tracing out what looked like an eight-pointed star within the smaller ring, but not once did the tip of the staff leave the floor until the star was finished. Pausing only for a moment to glance over their work, the Ghost Host looked around the room as they searched for the individual members of Team Owlet.

“ _Everyone! Hurry here as fast as you can! The spell is almost complete!”_ Their eyes then flicked down to Amity. “ _Do you know Shadow Script?_ ”

Amity nodded.

“ _Perfect, I’ll need you to write out the summoning between the two rings._ ”

Something about the tone of the Ghost Host’s voice made Amity shiver. “Wh-what summoning?”

“ _I’ll give it to you,_ ” the demon held out a hand and pulled her forward to rest its forehead against hers.

Instantly, Amity’s thoughts were flooded with words that she never had known before, a language that her brain stumbled over in an attempt to translate, yet somehow, she understood what they were. She felt the Ghost Host let go and she took a step back, shaking her head to try to clear the cacophony of foreign tongues bouncing around in her head. When she finally was able to make sense of the formula, Amity stared up at the Ghost Host and felt her heart plunge into her stomach.

“You - you’re going to - ”

“ _It’s what needs to be done. Now, please hurry,_ ” the Ghost Host traced a spell circle and a shadowy-black stylus appeared in its fingers that it handed to her, gesturing to the space between the rings. “ _If we’re going to help Luz, we need to have the spell ready for her return. Will you do it?_ ”

Swallowing, Amity looked from the stylus to the Ghost Host to the rings and back, then grabbed the narrow wand. “I will.”

* * *

Spots filled Luz’s vision as her head snapped to the side and she fell back, the arm of the couch catching her legs and causing her to stumble onto the cushions. Rex and Emilia’s staff fell from her grip as she tried to blink the room back into standing still, but it continued to spin around her. Her head was pounding and when she found the will to touch where she had been struck, the skin of her right cheek was wet. Her fingers brushed against a long slash over her cheek bone that throbbed from what was no doubt a bruise already forming and as she pulled her hand away, she saw it was smeared with fresh blood. When she tried to work her jaw, pain seared up into her skull and she whimpered.

“It’s sad, isn’t it?” Damien mused, closing the door and walking around to face the couch. A chair rose up from the floor and he casually sat down, eyeing Luz as she struggled to pull herself up. “All you had to do was leave everything as you found it, and none of this would have happened. You would be back home in the morning, safe and sound, thinking all of this was but a dream. And yet,” he rested his hands on his cane and leaned forward. “You chose to stick your nose into something you shouldn’t have, just like Chiaro. He could have lived a long and uneventful life as a servant to the Pandors, but like you, he thought he could become a part of this world.”

Hissing, Luz reached up to grab hold of the back of the couch, feeling her stomach clench. “What’s so wrong with that?” She felt a burning sensation roll up her throat and gripped the couch. She would. Not. Puke.

Damien studied her with mild amusement and snorted. “Why else do you think the elite class exists? The system that helps divide the weak from the strong, the privileged from the not. Human from witch.” His eyes tightened. “Those lines are drawn to keep everyone in their place, to maintain order. When I learned Emilia was going to throw everything she had away all for some lowly human servant? I could not stand by and watch it all go to ruin. He had no magic to protect her, no money, no home, no family, how could he possibly care for her? I did what I had to do to make her see just how weak he was, but, I never meant for the shoggoth to kill him…”

Managing to turn her head so she could look at Damien, Luz saw his hands had tightened on his cane and his gaze was locked on the floor.

“When Emilia took her own life, that was when I realized it was over, she never saw me as anything else than a friend at best, someone her family wanted her to marry.”

“So, why did you betray Ghost Host?” Luz swallowed another ball of bile in her throat. She saw his eyes widen with anger and winced, hissing when her head throbbed from the sudden movement. If only she could reach her glyphs…

“ _Mezzanotte_ would ruin everything I had earned from the Pandor family. My reputation and my family name would be stricken from existence if it was revealed I was the cause of Emilia’s death. As far as Astor was concerned, she had let his daughter fraternize with the human she had taken in, if anything she was the one responsible for Emilia’s suicide. So when the sacrifice was needed to summon the Nowhere Demon, I pushed her through the portal. Of course, if I’d known the price Mezzanotte paid for the Nowhere Demon’s power, I would have gone myself.” He looked up at Luz and stood from the chair, lifting his cane to set it on the armrest over her head. “And now, history repeats itself. A human taken from it’s world who thinks it can learn magic and wants to be worthy of the attention of another powerful witch family’s daughter. I have to admit, when I realized two female witches were interested in each other, I was surprised, but a _human_ girl and a female witch?” Luz bit her lip when he pushed the end of his cane against her uninjured cheek. “They’ll never let it happen. One day, she’ll realize you’re going to remain an ordinary, magic-less human who won’t be able to bring any benefit to her life. You’re just something new and curious, and once that thrill is gone, she’ll leave you.”

“No.” Clenching her fists, Luz slowly sat up and shoved the cane from her face, glaring at Damien. She could see the metal head of Basker and the red stain coating its muzzle from when Damien struck her. “I don’t need to be ‘worthy’ of Amity’s attention, because I already know she loves me, just like she knows I love her.” Boy, did it feel good to say those words. “Maybe I am something new and curious, but that’s not why she wants to be with me. I may not be a lot of things, but I know one thing,” she reached behind and felt the wood of a staff brush her fingers. “I’ll be anything but ordinary.”

Damien snarled and raised his cane, but Luz was already moving, yanking Rex out from behind her back and smacking the necromancer with the cobra palisman. Howling at the pain, he stepped back and fell over the chair, tripping on the ice blossoming from the glyph Luz had thrown on the floor. Pressing a hand to his face, he glared at Luz as she fumbled to climb onto Rex, grabbing the incomplete staff from where she dropped it. Slamming the end of his cane on the floor, a beam of red light shot from Basker’s mouth and snared Luz’s ankle.

“If you’re anything but ordinary, then let’s see if you can handle a little rain.”

Luz barely had the time to process his words before she was thrown against the doors of Emilia’s balcony, and felt the glass shatter from the impact. She held on as Rex flipped end over end from the force of Damien’s magic, turning everything around her world into a somersault, until she finally stopped. Then she felt the rain and screamed.

It was not like the cool, refreshing drops that washed down her skin and played with her hair back home. Not even the few droplets that hit her when she first experienced boiling rain the night of Eda’s transformation could have prepared her for the pure agony that literally burned her from head to toe. It felt like she was being hammered on all sides by white-hot needles. The intensity of it was so strong, her body could not even discern if it was hot or cold, only that it burned. Boiling rain stabbed at her thin summer clothes, tearing holes in her short-sleeved hoodie, jean shorts, and black leggings, searing her skin with blisters that bubbled instantly. Everything hurt. It was so hot. She couldn’t see, couldn’t think, couldn’t move.

“You see?” Damien yelled out from the balcony. “You’re nothing but a weak, pathetic, ordinary little human girl. A witch as powerful as Amity Blight would never choose someone like you.”

Amity. Luz’s eyes flared open and she felt the memory of soft lips pressing against her mouth, those burning amber eyes full of the purest adoration staring up at her.

“ _I love you too, Luz._ ”

A growl rolled deep from within Luz’s chest that rose up her throat and turned into a bellow as she shot forward. Not at Damien, but towards the massive domed ceiling of the greenhouse just below. Bracing for the impact, Luz watched a beam of magic fire from Rex’s mouth to rip open the skylight, sending massive shards of glass and twisted metal everywhere as she rocketed to the floor, pulling up at the last second for Rex to skim just over the carcass of what could only be Jack the Pumpkin King. From above came a lightning bolt of magic as Damien flew through the opening, a forcefield over his head. Taking out her almost spent paper pad, Luz ripped a glyph from the rings and threw it to the floor.

A reverberating roar erupted from the mess of seeds, gourd guts, and vines, and Damien lurched back as the Pumpkin King rose from the ground, reforming as it turned to them, flames sliping from between its teeth. Thick leafy tendrils rolled up from the floor, jarring Luz from her staff, but she held on as Rex continued on, her feet sliding along the vines as if she were surfing. Luz did not even look back as she leapt back onto Rex and sailed out into the hall. A light trill came from below and she glanced down to see the silvery-blue glow of the spirit ball keeping pace with her.

“How do I get back to the ballroom?”

With a chirp, the spirit ball darted away and Luz felt Rex surge after it. She could hear the sounds of Damien battling the Pumpkin King fading behind, but she knew it would only buy her a minute or two. Her skin stung from the rain, but at least the cool rush from flying seemed to ease the burn by a little. Everything hurt so much, she could barely keep her eyes open as the halls rushed around her.

Light flared in her vision and Luz jerked back, holding up her arms to block the searing glow, only to feel herself slide back as the muscles in her legs gave way. Rex slid out from beneath her, but she felt something scoop her from the air that gently curled around her. It felt like she had been caught in a giant baseball glove. When Luz managed to peel her eyelids open, she gaped at the massive black feathered wing tenderly cradling her body. 

“ _I was wondering when we’d see you again._ ”

The wing tilted and Luz slid down to the floor. Instantly, she curled into a ball, the cold of the floor seeping into the burns from the rain, her eyes closing against the fresh wave of pain.

“LUZ!!!”

The chorus of voices yelling her name wavered in her consciousness, but one voice cut through the rest, and a body dropped down beside her. Arms carefully wrapped around her to lift her up and a cool hand brushed away the bangs plastered to her face.

“Luz? Luz!”

All she could do was moan and the arms around her tightened.

“Please, you have to help!”

“ _Bloody Titan, what has he done to her?_ ” The tone of the Ghost Host sent a chill down Luz’s spine that was not from her pain, and a large hand with long, clawed fingers splayed across her forehead. “ _Amity, I’m going to need you to let go of Luz_.”

The arms holding her locked in place. “No! You promised she would be okay! The mansion was supposed to protect her!”

“ _It brought her back to you, didn’t it?_ ” Came the calm reply, and Luz felt Amity stiffen before her body slowly lowered back to the floor. But as the hands pulled away, she managed to reach up to grab one and thread her fingers in theirs.

“Amity…?”

“Yes, Luz, I’m here.”

Luz hissed in reply and felt the Ghost Host’s hand lift as well, a bright green light seeping through her eyelids.

“ _Luz, I know you can hear me. I don’t have the time or magic to heal you completely right now, but I can make the pain go away. I wish I could tell you this won’t hurt, but,_ ” she imagined the demon shrugging. “ _It will. So, hang in there.”_

The light swarmed her eyes and every square inch on her body felt like it was covered with the worst possible sunburn. Hot tears spilled between Luz’s eyelashes and she gritted her teeth, praying to anyone who was listening to make it stop. Then, just as quickly as it started, the burn was gone, replaced by a cool sensation that made all of her tense muscles relax. She could still feel the sunburn-like sting along her skin, but it had faded into a very mild sting that twinged when she moved. Gasping, Luz peeled open her eyes and found herself once again staring up at green hair and amber eyes.

“Hey...Amity…”

Those wide eyes brimming with tears shimmered and Amity yanked Luz to her chest in a constricting hug that told her she did not want to let go. “Thank the Titan.” Amity whispered against Luz’s neck, her tears staining the tattered remains of her hoodie.

“ _Ahem,_ ”

Luz felt Amity lift her chin from where it had been resting on her shoulder to look up. “Thank you, Ghost Host.”

“ _You have no need to thank me, I would have done it either way. But as much as I’d love to let you two enjoy a heartfelt reunion, we have a summoning to perform. If you could please take your positions._ ”

Slowly, Luz pulled away from Amity, but only enough so she could meet Amity’s gaze. A few tears still clung to her face and, chuckling, she wiped them away with her thumb. “Amity, it’s okay, I’m okay.” The witch gave her a look and she bit her lip. “Alright, maybe a little hard boiled, but I’m okay now. Like GH said, we’ve got to do this spell...summoning...thing.” She groaned from the stiffness in her muscles and Amity helped her to her feet, but stopped.

“Wait,”Amity looked at the Ghost Host. “What about the ring Damien stole? Don’t we still need that to break the curse?”

“Yoink!”

Amity and the Ghost Host gaped at Luz as she pulled the thin chain with the golden band from around her neck. “One of the best things of living with a wanted criminal is learning how to pick pockets without being caught. Jerk didn’t even notice.” She grinned brightly at them, only to squeak when Amity grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her in for a kiss that set all of the nerves in Luz’s body on overdrive.

When Amity let go, Luz was sure her brain had melted. “Titan, you’re such a dork.” She whispered, her breath sending chills down the human’s spine.

“ _I take it you both are ready?_ ”

Smiling, Amity lightly bumped her forehead against Luz’s and nodded at the Ghost Host, who was holding Rex in one hand and Emilia’s incomplete staff in the other. “What do you want us to do?”

The Ghost Host handed a tongue-tied Luz the cobra palisman and pointed to where the rest of her friends were standing in a circle around the biggest spell ring she had ever seen.

“ _I need you to go to the third point of the star, Amity will take the one opposit of you, while I take the main one. Once you are there, place your staff on the point. I will direct you all from there._ ”

Luz nodded and, giving Amity’s hand a squeeze, jogged over to what she guessed was the spot Ghost Host wanted her to stand at, between King and Gus. Looking back to the demon, she watched as they handed the staff to Amity. Artemis leapt from her shoulders onto the staff and settled on the interlock, his eyes blazing with a silvery light, and Amity hurried to the point across from Luz. The team watched as the Ghost Host walked to the point at the head of the eight-point star.

“ _Whatever happens, no matter what you see or hear, you must not break the circle._ ” Their eyes matched every single member of the team, holding only a few seconds more on Luz and Amity. “ _Do you understand? Do NOT break the circle._ ” Behind them, Luz gulped as Damien exploded through the doors on his staff. “ _Luz._ ” The Ghost Host’s voice pulled her attention back and she nodded. “ _Now, set your staff to the ring._ ” Luz and Amity followed their instructions, placing the ends of their staffs to the star points before them. “ _Willow, Gus, Boscha, magic._ ” The three witchlings traced their respective magics in the air, holding the rings in both hands. “ _Skara and King, hands to the star._ ”

Luz dared a glance at Damien and saw he was holding what looked like a lance made entirely of magic in his grasp, aiming for the Ghost Host’s back. In a flash, the Ghost Host spun on their heel and caught the end of the glowing lance, shadows sizzling in their hand against the magic, and ripped it from Damien. The necromancer sprang from his staff, flipping it as he did, and met the Ghost Host’s in a clash of green and red. For a second, Luz saw the Ghost Host’s feet begin to slide back towards the ring. But, before she could react, the Ghost Host jerked their staff down, pulling Damien’s with it, and spun the end around to hook behind his neck.

“ _Now,_ ” A wicked grin slid across the demon’s smile. “ _The life force._ ” And flung Damien headfirst into the center of the spell. His eyes dropped to the symbols etched along the floor before looking up at the Ghost Host as they set their staff to the head of the star and the glow intensified.

“You monster.”

“ _Not a monster,_ ” the Ghost Host lifted a hand. “ _Your Ghost Host._ ”

The sound of their fingers snapping echoed about the room, ringing in Luz’s ears, and the light erupted from the circle, encompassing Damien in a brillant rainbow of colors from the surrounding witchlings’ magics. Luz stared open-mouthed at the blending energies, but a flash of darkness caught her attention and she looked down. Symbols, or letters?, written within the space of the two rings crackled and sparked with a black electrical current that climbed up the column of colors and began to spiral around it, tightening closer and closer to the trapped Damien. Yelling, he flew about the circle on his staff, pounding at the closing walls of his prison and stared at the Ghost Host.

“You can’t do this! Please! Have mercy!”

The Ghost Host stared back with a cold fury in their glowing eyes. “ _You lost any chance at redemption the moment you touched these kids. Now, you will only know oblivion.”_

Magic burst from the Ghost Host’s staff and Damien looked down as the painted spiral on the floor dropped, becoming a swirling black hole that grew until its edges pressed against the outer ring. Luz felt an invisible force slam against her, almost knocking her back, but she held onto Rex, seeing that everyone else had experienced the same sensation. When she looked into the hole, she saw countless stars winking in and out of sight, all varying in so many colors she couldn’t describe them all. Until she realized those weren’t twinkling stars, they were eyes, and one pair was growing larger by the second. No, it was two pairs of eyes, one above the other. A massive head slowly rose up from the darkness, followed by a neck, chest and arms, and a powerful torso, stopping when it loomed over them all. Two horns grew out and to the sides of the head like a bull’s above the four blank eyes, burning white. Four long, lean arms sprouted from the broad shoulders, black skin stretching across the rippling muscles, and it stroked the air with its narrow clawed fingers. Shadows spilled from its shoulders, giving the semblance of wings, while a blazing mass on its head warped into what looked almost like a crown.

It was as if time had come to a complete standstill. Even the zombies and Basker clone duo had stopped, all eyes trained on the towering demon that slowly looked around the area, its gaze settling on the paralyzed Damien. Lifting a hand, it scooped him from the air and studied the necromancer as if he were a mildly interesting insect. Or a tasty little treat.

“Great One!” Damien shouted as it brought him to its face. “I offer you a trade! My powers as a witch, and a necromancer, in exchange for a new life as one of your own!”

The demon tilted its head curiously. “ **And what makes you believe I would be interested in trading such power?”** It’s voice grated in Luz’s mind and she held back a shiver as it leaned closer. 

“You’ve done it before!” Damien pointed to the Ghost Host. “A witch traded their soul for your power, I wish to make the same offer.”

“ **I see. You’re the one who sent the Bane of Midnight into my realm.** ” Its head tilted to the other side and its lower hands flexed in the air. “ **Because of you, I lost a great many of my kin to the witches that day.** ”

Damien’s face turned pale as he quickly began to thrash in the giant’s grip. “No! No! That wasn’t me!”

“ **I’ve not tasted a necromancer’s essence for centuries, and I am famished.** ”

Luz watched as the demon lifted a single claw and ripped her gaze away as Damien let out a horrifying scream that was cut short. There was a sudden burst of rust-red light and, when she looked back, a small curtain of ash fell from the giant’s hand into the void below. Its eyes lifted back to circle around the surrounding witches and settled on the Ghost Host. The way it was looking at them made Luz tense and it slowly leaned forward until it was eye level with the smaller version of itself. Without flinching, the Ghost Host dropped to one knee and bowed their head.

“ **You were the one who traded their soul for my powers all those centuries ago, Midnight’s Bane.** ”

“ _Yes, Greater One._ ”

Luz watched the giant’s eyes narrow slightly.

“ **Your revenge is complete, the one who wronged you is now mine. Our contract is finished. It is time you upheld your end of the bargain and joined my realm.** ” The demon lifted a hand, and Luz clenched Rex’s staff.

“Stop!”

Both the giant and the Ghost Host turned to look at her, the former with mild interest, the later with thinly veiled concern.

“ _Luz, the circle,_ ”

“No!” Luz yelled, her knuckles turning white as she held onto the staff and stared down the demon in the center. “You can’t take the Ghost Host!”

The giant was in front of her in a second, all four eyes fixed on her curiously. “ **Tell me then, human, why should I allow the Midnight’s Bane to remain in this world? Their soul is mine, their powers are mine, everything they are, I made. What do you know that I do not to keep them from being taken to the Chaos Realm to become one of my subjects?** ”

Swallowing, Luz’s eyes darted around the circle until they caught Amity’s from across the way. The green-haired witch was holding on just as tightly to Artemis as Luz was to Rex, her arms shaking from the effort, the resolve imminent in her eyes. She nodded to her and Luz took a breath.

“Because...because Ghost Host doesn’t belong to you! They - she drank my blood, each of ours, to become alive again. They fought for us, they protected us, they care about this mansion, and all the souls stuck inside! They’re a part of our team, so they already belong somewhere, and that’s with us! We love them, and I’m pretty sure,” she turned to the dumbfounded shadow demon and smiled. “They love us too. That means they have a soul, and you can’t take that from them. Plus, this mansion needs someone to protect it. Isn’t that why you gave Mezzanotte your power in the first place? To protect this mansion?”

The four glowing eyes blinked at Luz, its face giving no hint of emotion as she stared it down. She may be just a human, but she was going to fight with every ounce of her being to not let the Ghost Host be taken away. A long, low growl echoed around the room as the giant pulled away and stood tall, looking back to the Ghost Host.

“ **Nothing lasts forever, Bane of Midnight. You have had a stay of execution, but be warned: this mansion will not be around for much longer. When the time comes, when your precious witchlings are gone from this world, I will be back to collect.** ” The giant glanced at Luz and she gulped. “ **Enjoy your second chance at life.** ”

The colors swirling around the giant darkened and it plunged into the void, pulling every bit of energy and light with it in a cyclone of wind, magic, and shadows. Luz felt her feet start to slide forward and she wrapped her arms around Rex’s staff, holding on for dear life as the void pulled at her with fingers made of dark magic. Then, the wind stopped and everything went still, the only noise she could hear was someone hyperventilating. Wait, that was her hyperventilating. Gasping, Luz unhinged her arms from Rex and turned around.

The zombies, Basker, the spell, the giant demon, they were gone. All she could see was her friends standing in a circle in a large ballroom with an elaborate spiral painted on the floor. Did they just...?

A giggle bubbled up in Luz’s throat and tickled its way out of her mouth, followed by a second, then a third, until she was doubled over laughing. Very quickly, everyone else joined her, jumping up and down, hugging each other, cheering. Hearing running feet, Luz looked up in time for Amity to tackle her in a massive hug, and Luz spun her around, lifting the witch’s feet off the floor. When she managed to set Amity back down, their eyes locked and Luz held her face in her hands before leaning in and pressing her lips to hers. Luz could taste the saltiness of Amity’s tears and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, wrapping her arms around her to hold her closer, heart hammering against her ribs.

“Luz!”

Luz didn’t have the time to look up before King launched himself at the pair, wriggling in between them to snuggle into her chest.

“You just stood toe to toe with the Nowhere Demon! An actual Great One! I knew I was wise to select you as one of my subjects!”

Grinning, Luz gave King a peck on the nose and looked at Amity. “Yeah, I guess I’m kinda cool.”

Suddenly, a large shape pounced on them from the side and Luz and Amity found themselves rolling head over heels before coming to a stop on the floor, the Ghost Host hugging them tightly in their lap.

“ _You reckless, ridiculous, hard headed, brilliant, beautiful human!_ ” Their eyes glimmered down at her as they nuzzled her hair with the side of their horned head. “ _Do you know how dangerous that was? The Great One could have squashed you like a bug! Why did you do that?_ ”

Giggling, Amity gave Luz a peck on the cheek. “Because she’s my fearless champion, that’s why.”

Luz’s face went bright red and she smoothed back her mussed bangs. “Well, I couldn’t just let the Nowhere Demon take you away! You’re part of Team Owlet now, so you belong with us! Besides,” she wrapped her arms around the demon’s chest. “We love you, GH.”

The Ghost Host stared at her wide-eyed and smiled softly, running a clawed hand carefully over her hair. “ _Anch’io ti amo, tesoro._ ” The demon looked at Amity and pulled her into a hug as well, ruffling her hair. More voices came from behind as Gus, King, Skara, and Willow piled onto the Ghost Host, Madame Leota’s crystal ball resting against their thigh. Boscha stood just off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest.

“C’mon Boscha!” Luz called. “Team cuddle!”

“No thanks,” the three-eyed witch held up her hand. “I don’t-” Green light snagged her arm and pulled her into the group, and she sighed. “Cuddle.”

A sudden trill from behind made them all turn to see a familiar silver-blue spirit ball floating close by.

“Little ghost friend!” Willow called, jogging up to the spirit. Chirping, it fluttered over to her outstretched hands and she smiled as Boscha walked up behind her. “We were wondering where you were hiding.”

“ _It can’t be._ ”

Everyone went silent as the Ghost Host slowly got to their feet and walked to Willow, their eyes not leaving the spirit. A soft coo came from the orb and it drifted up to hover over the Ghost’s Host suddenly trembling hands, and the demon dropped to their knees, not once lowering their arms as they stared at the glowing sphere.

“ _Titan, is it really you?_ ”

The spirit orb cooed again and Luz saw the glimmer in the Ghost Host’s eyes brighten as a single tear fell from their face.

“Ghost Host?” She reached for the demon’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? Who is that?”

Swallowing, the Ghost Host leaned back on their heels and their tail curled around their legs. “ _Luz Noceda, I would like you to meet my little brother, Chiaro._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SWolf: Oof, this was a LONG one to write and a lot went into it! We’re almost there gang!  
> GH: Would you say they’re So Close to the end?  
> 


	15. Crossing Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SWolf: Who’s ready for some Lumity fluff?  
> GH: *gargles salt water and clears throat* I am!  
> SWolf: For any of you familiar with the Disney film Enchanted, remember the song So Close? You may want to have that ready to play for this chapter.

_The ballroom was filled to the brim with partygoers all dressed in their finest livery, laughing, gossiping, dancing to their enjoyment. Brightly colored dress wear that flashed in the eye every direction it turned, illuminated by the hanging chandeliers that cast a soft magenta glow about the room, making one feel like they were living in the crystal ball of an oracle. Witches and demons milled about, casting glances at each other in the hopes the one they desired would ask them to a dance. From one of the many side doors, two figures emerged, dressed in simple, yet fine, clothes that easily allowed them to blend in with the party. Considering the fact this particular party was a masquerade, they were practically invisible to the rest of the crowd, just another couple wandering about. If a brother and sister could count as a couple._

_Though they both were of the same height, the brother seemed to want to huddle as close to his sister’s side as possible, her shoulders set in a defiant pose and her head held high as her mane of obsidian-dark hair flared over her back. Her dress was a deep lavender that covered her from shoulder to toe, the collar a shallow v-cut that showed her collarbone, the sleeves running down her arms to cover the backs of her hands. Black and silver patterns traced along the arms in the suggestion of flames, curling on the shoulder blades like wings._

_The sister surveyed the room, her violet eyes scanning the bodies carefully from behind her black mask, demonic horns set into the forehead, and she grinned. “Alright Chi, you ready? She’s waiting for you.”_

_Her brother perked up, his face flushing behind his silver domino mask and he quickly smoothed his hair back. “Where?”_

_Snorting, a rather improper noise for a lady of her status, she grabbed her brother’s shoulder and pointed to near the stage where a band had just finished playing a simple drifting melody and was taking a short break. “Right there.”_

_He followed her direction to stare at the young woman standing at the far side of the stage, her long snow-white hair falling down her back like a beacon against the dark emerald of her dress. Swallowing, he started to inch away, but felt the barring of his sister’s arm against his back._

_“I don’t know about this, what if the Master sees us?” He tugged at the sleeves of his black suit emblazoned with swirling red designs. Technically, it had been “borrowed” from the Master’s closet, but his sister had promised it would be too old for anyone to recognize and cause alarm._

_“Trust me, Pandor has no idea. As far as he’s concerned, you’re patrolling the tunnels to make sure that slimy shoggoth stays put, and I’m back home with Lupin for my night off. Besides, he’s locked up in his study researching a summoning for a new demon, he won’t see the light of day for at least a week.”_

_“What about the Mistress?”_

_Rolling her eyes, his sister turned him by his shoulders to stare at him. “Would you stop worrying, Chiaro? You’re twenty-one now, not fourteen! Surely you’ve got the gumption to walk up to a girl and ask her to dance at this point? I’ve seen you face much more horrifying things with a silver axe and inked glyphs than ask Emilia Pandor for one simple waltz.”_

_“But, what if she doesn’t want to?” Crystal-blue eyes trained on her from behind the mask. “What if she realizes I’m nothing but a weak, human boy who can’t perform magic like a witch, and decides I’m worthless? I come from another world, Mezzanotte, a place where none of this exists. If she doesn’t want me, what else could I do? I don’t even have a staff!”_

_Sighing deeply, Mezzanotte let go of his shoulders and glanced around. She had been ordered to leave her staff in her room after a little incident from the last party involving her palisman chasing a chubby little brat around for throwing hot chocolate at her brother. Neither Astor nor Ophelia appreciated her argument of “the squirt asked for it” and thus, Rex had been banned from parties. That still did not mean she couldn’t perform a little magic here and there._

_“Alright, I was going to wait until Slithermas to give you this but, here.” Lifting her hand, Mezzanotte drew a spell circle for a long shape to drop from the glowing lavender ring, and held it out to Chiaro. It was a simple black staff, no palisman on either end, but the surface was smooth and glistened with multiple facets in the ballroom light, giving an almost crystalline appearance. “I carved it from the Dragon Ash tree during our last visit to the Knee, keeping with the old tradition of branch-giving and all that. It’s light, but stronger than most other materials, and can generate magic just as good as any staff.”_

_Reverently, Chiaro took the staff from his sister’s hand and stared at it, his eyes so wide she wondered if they would outgrow his mask. “I…”_

_“No, no, don’t you get all choked up on me. You go out there, ask Emilia to dance, and show her a human is just as worthy of her love as any other witch or demon in this mansion.” Squeezing Chiaro’s shoulder, Mezzanotte flashed him a fanged grin and pushed him forward._

_“But, what about the band? There’s no way they’d play a song for me to dance to.”_

_One of her pointed ears flicked in the air. “Don’t you worry about that, now go on, go ask her.”_

_Taking a deep breath, Chiaro clutched the staff in his hands and, squaring his shoulders, began to make his way across the room, his gaze not leaving Emilia’s form. Mezzanotte watched as the witch turned to see the approaching human and, even from the distance between them, she saw the hopefulness spark in her eyes, and her grin widened._

_“Now, to take care of the band.” Turning on her heel, Mezzanotte strode towards the stage and the group of chattering demons and witches, cracking her knuckles eagerly. “No way they’d play a song for you, eh? Remember Chiaro, there’s always my way._ ”

* * *

Amity gaped at the glowing ball of silver and blue light hovering over the Ghost Host’s palms, the demon’s eyes shimmering with tears, a look she never would have thought to bear witness to. Yet, as they brought the spirit closer to their chest, she saw the unbridled bittersweet joy on their face. The spirit orb, or Chiaro, chirped softly and the Ghost Host nodded.

“ _Yes, it’s me. Not exactly what you expected? Well, things got a little...complicated after you...after Damien…_ ” The Ghost Host snarled deeply, but was cut off when Chiaro trilled and bobbed in the air. Clearing their throat, the Ghost Host turned to look over their shoulder at the surrounding witchlings. “ _Yes, yes, miscusa,_ ” Standing, the demon held out their hands for the group to see the orb. “ _Everyone, this is the spirit of my little brother, Chiaro. Chiaro, this is Luz Noceda, Amity Blight, Willow, Gus, Boscha, Skara, and the King of Demons._ ”

King squealed happily and Amity rolled her eyes.

“ _They are the ones who have been fighting to break the curse this whole night. In fact, I do believe you’ve been assisting them a little yourself?_ ” The Ghost Host arched an eyebrow and Chiaro chirped. “ _You never could resist helping others now, could you?_ ” A trill was their response and the demon chuckled.

“So,” Luz said, earning the demon’s attention. “Damien is gone, the Nowhere Demon is out of here, what’s left for us to do? We still have to find Emilia, don’t we?”

At the mention of Emilia’s name, the surface of Chiaro’s spirit orb brightened like a very tiny sun and he swirled out of the Ghost Host’s hands and around Luz’s shoulders, pulling at her hair in a light brush of wind. “Whoa!” She stumbled back and Amity caught her before she fell. “What the heck was that about?”

“He’s saying you don’t have to find her, she’s already here.”

Everyone, except for the Ghost Host, stared at Madame Leota.

“Say what now?” Gus asked.

The oracle sighed and rotated to look at the witchlings. “Emilia is already here. She’s been with you since you entered the mausoleum. Didn’t you listen to anything I told you?”

“It was a little hard to pay attention when you were spinning us around the room with a band chasing us!”

“Wait,” Amity held up a hand, cutting off Skara’s words, and looked at Luz. “We didn’t see anyone in the crypt except for…” Her eyes grew wide and she spun around to look at Artemis, who was perched on his interlock, patiently waiting, his eyes glowing with the same silver-blue as Chiaro. No, it couldn’t be that simple. This whole time? Slowly, Amity walked over to the staff and lifted it to stare into the fox’s eyes.

“Amity?”

She felt Luz approach her from behind. “What is it?”

“I, I think,” she looked over her shoulder at the Ghost Host, a curious look on their face as if they were waiting for her to continue, and looked back to the palisman. “I think Emilia is in Artemis. Her soul is her palisman.”

There was a brief moment of silence as the group processed her words. Then, it was broken.

“WHAT?!”

Amity turned her head to look at the Ghost Host, the only one of their party who did not show any sign of shock, but there was a curious tightening around their eyes. Not guilt, but something similar. “You knew, didn’t you?”

“ _Yes, I did._ ”

“Why didn’t you tell us from the start?” Boscha glared at the demon. “Do you realize how much time that could have saved us? We could have avoided all that fighting and getting our butts handed to us, at least Luz,”

“Hey!”

“We could have finished this whole mess hours ago! You wasted all of our time with some stupid riddle when you could have told us from the get-go!”

There was a loud chirp and Chiaro shot up to Boscha’s face, making the witch yelp and stumble back as he trilled loudly, until the Ghost Host scooped their palm under the orb to pull him back.

“ _Easy there, Chiaro, she has every right to say that._ ” Sighing, the Ghost Host looked at the surrounding group. “ _Back when everything was falling apart, when Chiaro died, I knew Emilia would take matters into her own hands. She was beyond any reason, nothing could get through to her, and I could see signs of her desperation to be joined with her lover in death if not life. I found her when she...well...let’s just say I wasn’t fast enough. But, I had my magic, and I had her staff._ ” The Ghost Host looked at Amity and nodded to the palisman in her hand. “ _The bond between a witch and their palisman is more than just a way to channel their magic, it goes much deeper than that. They become a part of your soul, they harbor your deepest feelings and greatest magics, even when separated from their interlock, they know your thoughts. When I sensed Emilia’s life was slipping away, I used every ounce of magic I had to transfer her soul into Artemis. Even though his magic was fading from existence, he was willing for his mistress to take his body for a chance to return, even though that meant he would be gone. I wouldn't risk telling the truth to the Pandors or Damien, they would have forced her back into her body and it would have become a literal living hell for her soul, stuck in a dying body, unable to pass on._ ”

Boscha crossed her arms. “And, you’re saying what you did was better?”

The demon looked at her. “ _No, but at the moment, it was all I could do. A lesser of two evils, if you prefer. I never planned for all of this,_ ” they gestured around the battle-scarred ballroom. “ _Obviously, no one did. When I regained control of myself after my transformation, I tried to give Emilia and Artemis a proper place to be kept safe. The family crypt held the strongest protections I knew, but I discovered the curse limited me from physically leaving the manor. I could only go so far before I was stopped in my tracks. So, I sent my shadows to hide Artemis, Emilia’s soul put to sleep within his form, and I waited. The longer the curse lasted, and the longer I resisted draining the life force of others, the limitations of my powers grew. It was to the point I couldn’t even recall the details of the curse, its memory taken from me._ _Until I realized that, one day,_ ” their eyes flicked to Luz. “ _I would need help from the outside. So, I went to Madame Leota, to see if such a thing as a prophecy could exist for this curse._ ”

“You were a pest about it,” the oracle grumbled. “Going on and on about wanting to make it right and freeing all these trapped souls. When I finally did come up with the riddle, she memorized every single word.”

“That’s why you gave it to us in the Portrait Room.” Willow said slowly, realization dawning in her tone. “The riddle was all you had left of the curse.”

“ _You are correct._ ”

King snorted. “I honestly thought you just came up with it on the fly to mess with us.” The tiny demon frowned and rubbed his chin. “Wait, if you couldn’t go into the crypt with us, how did you possess that statue?”

“ _I,_ ” the Ghost Host shook their head. “ _I can honestly say I don’t know. Not only that, but I was able to go right to the door, neither of which had ever happened. The Bewitching Hour passed, I was a shadow again, but I sensed you all were in trouble. I knew the statue would be the only way I could help, especially once I smelled Damien’s magic on the corpses. But until you all entered the crypt, I could not go in._ ”

“So,” Luz muttered. “Us going in changed that somehow.” She looked at Amity. “Any ideas?”

Amity shook her head, she was at a loss. Chiaro’s chirp caught her attention, but the Ghost Host just shook their head, frowning.

“ _It was most likely from how far you all were in breaking the curse. Speaking of which,_ ” they nodded to Emilia’s staff. “ _Why don’t we help our two lovers reunite?_ _After all, ‘two hearts for two souls, love given new life,_ ”

“The willing shall dance by the end of the night.” Finished Amity, slowly looking from Artemis to Luz to Chiaro to the Ghost Host. A human and a witch, in love, to guide the lost souls of Chiaro and Emilia to their end. Just like Damien had said. A blush burned in her cheeks as she suddenly found it difficult to look at anyone, especially Luz. “And...exactly...what does that mean?”

The Ghost Host snorted. “ _Don’t get your bile sac in a twist my dear, it’s just as it sounds. A dance, a simple waltz for two who loved nothing more than to be in each other's arms. And, if I’m not mistaken,_ ” the knowing smile on their face made Amity’s blush darken even more. “ _The two of you shared something similar against that pest Grometheus?_ ”

Now it was Luz’s turn to blush as everyone gaped at them.

“That’s how you beat Grom?” Boscha snickered. “With a dance? Oh my dear sweet Titan, you two are so sappy!”

Amity glared at her murderously, but Luz side-stepped into her line of sight and she relaxed at the shy smile on her face when the human took her hand.

“I guess if that’s what we have to do. I mean, not like we did a bad job the last time, right?”

“But,” Amity leaned closer to whisper. “Last time it was just the two of us and Grom! By the time everyone else showed up, Grom was already defeated! We didn’t have people watching, or, two spirits possessing us!” She bit her lip and looked at the floor. “It just feels...wrong.”

“We’ve already seen you two kiss at least three times by now,” King rolled his eyes. “Get over it.”

Luz stopped Amity’s arm from golf-clubbing the fur ball across the room and tugged so she was staring into her eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Amity. If how we feel for each other is how Chiaro and Emilia felt, then I’ll bet you anything it’s enough to break this curse. C'mon mi amor,” she squeezed her hand. “Let’s help them go home.”

Amity felt her heart skip a literal beat as those brown eyes shined at her and she nodded, taking a deep breath and looking at the Ghost Host. “What do you want us to do?”

Smiling, the Ghost Host looked at Chiaro and Luz. “ _Luz Noceda, would you allow Chiaro to possess you? Your conscience and mind will still be your own, but he will have command of your body._ ”

The human’s eyes popped from their sockets and she hopped up and down with glee. “Are you kidding me?! An actual ghost possession? Be still my ghost-chasing-fandom heart!”

Skara raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not at all weirded out that a _guy_ is going to possess you?”

Blinking at the witch, Luz shrugged. “Eh, small sacrifice if that means helping him cross over.” She smiled at the Ghost Host and held up a hand to the glowing spirit orb. “Heya there, bud, you ready to see Emilia again?”

Chiaro trilled and rotated as if to look at the Ghost Host, who only nodded encouragingly, and drifted to Luz’s hand. Amity could not help but grip Artemis’ staff as she watched the spirit orb settle onto Luz’s palm and then, slowly, sink down into her skin. Silver-blue light spread all along Luz’s arm, traveling up to her shoulders to coat her entire body in a soft glow. Luz’s eyes closed against the sensation that Amity hoped was not more pain, the human had been through enough, and when they opened again, they were glazed over with a blue light as the surrounding glow vanished. Slowly, Luz brought her hands up to stare at them and flexed her fingers.

“L-Luz?” Amity said, and the human looked at her.

“I’m still here _,_ ” came the reply, but there was another voice with hers, a soft male voice that sounded older. “But, it’s kinda weird to have someone else in here with me. Chiaro? _”_

_“Yes,”_

Everyone sprang back when the man’s voice, Chiaro’s voice, came from Luz’s mouth.

“ _Ah, hello all. It’s nice to finally meet you, officially. It’s a little odd for me too. I haven’t had a physical form for so long and, scusami, being in a young girl’s body is...different._ ” A bright red blush rose in Luz’s cheeks, making Amity giggle as she covered her mouth.

Figures her human dork would be possessed by another human dork, even if the possessor was a man. Luz/Chiaro looked at Amity and the glowing eyes widened.

“ _Miss Blight, I hope you don’t mind my borrowing your lady friend’s body. I am eternally grateful to you all for helping us._ ”

Amity blushed, tucking her hair behind an ear. “Um, of course! We’re happy to help.” Titan, this was strange. Taking a breath, Amity glanced at the Ghost Host. “So...how do we free Emilia?”

“ _Remember what I taught you about summoning the shadows?”_ Amity nodded. “ _Same basic principle. There is a voice in there, no doubt stirring now that her beloved is close. Just listen, and you’ll hear her._ ”

Artemis’ eyes flashed when Amity looked at the palisman, feeling Chiaro’s eagerness radiate from Luz, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep, long breath, and letting it out. Whispers filled her ears from the surrounding shadows in the room, curious to know what she wanted of them. As politely as she could think, Amity told them she did not need their assistance with this, she needed to speak to the soul inside Artemis. Right then, she felt something brush against her thoughts, a soft, curious tapping, as if someone were knocking on the door to her mind. Directing her thoughts to the sensation, Amity imagined turning the handle to the door and pulling it open. On the other side stood a witch who looked to be in her early twenties, her eyes a deep green, offsetting the long curtain of white hair spilling down her back and the patch of black roots just above the crown of her forehead. The two witches stared at each other in open curiosity, and Amity slowly held out her hand.

“ _Emilia Pandor?_ ”

The witch looked down at her hand and back to her face, her eyes briefly going to the mint-green and auburn roots of Amity’s hair. “ _Yes?_ ”

“ _My name is Amity Blight. I would like to offer my form to help you cross over to the next life._ ”

“ _Blight…?_ ” Emilia repeated and lifted her hand, but it dropped back to her side. “ _Chiaro, is he with you?_ ”

A smile tugged at the corners of Amity’s lips. “ _He’s here, though, you might be a little surprised when you see him. Another human came here and allowed him to possess her._ ”

“‘ _Her?_ ” Emilia repeated.

Amity nodded, feeling her face heat up. Titan, even when talking to ghosts she was still blushing! “ _Yes, Luz is going to help us. Ghost Host, I mean, Mezzanotte, is here too to help. We’ve been fighting to break this curse and set you all free. All we need to do now is help bring you and Chiaro together._ ” She stared at the witch. “ _That is, if you’ll allow us to?”_

Emilia studied her cautiously, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. It did not take much for Amity to guess she was nervous, but after a moment, Emilia lifted her hand and slowly clasped hers. “ _Thank you, Amity._ ”

There was a flash of light as Amity’s body was swallowed up by the blinding silver-blue warmth. When she opened her eyes again, she was staring back at Luz, but something felt very different. It felt as if her mind had somehow taken a back seat within her own body, and her arms lifted, under the command of another.

“ _Amity?_ ” Emilia’s voice echoed in her thoughts.

“Yes, I’m here...I think? That’s not me moving my hands.”

“ _No,_ ”

Amity’s head rotated to look up at the Ghost Host. “ _That would be Emilia testing her new, temporary, body. Hello, Miss Pandor._ ” The demon dropped down to a knee in a deep bow, lowering their horned head in one smooth motion. “ _It’s been too long._ ”

Panic that did not belong to Amity jolted in her heart and she felt herself take a step back. “ _Who-who are you?!_ ” Emilia’s voice came from her mouth.

The Ghost Host looked up and Amity felt Emilia’s confusion at the hurt suppressed on the demonic face. “ _Forgive me, m’lady, the last time you saw me I was a witch, trying to save you from ending your life. I placed your soul in your palisman, Artemis, to protect you from the dark magics that plagued this mansion._ ”

Slow understanding dawned on Amity’s face and her eyes widened. “ _Mezzanotte? But, how?_ ”

“ _Amore,_ ”

A warm hand touched Amity’s arm, a voice she and Emilia both instantly recognized, and turned to look at Luz.

“ _Chiaro?_ ”

Luz smiled softly and her hands slid alongside Amity’s face to cup her cheeks, fingers lightly brushing at the pointed tips of her ears. Heat spiked deep in Amity’s stomach, though she was not sure if that belonged to her or Emilia. Even possessed, Luz was able to make her heart race.

“ _Si, amore, it’s me. Mezzanotte was sacrificed to the Nowhere Demon by Damien after she discovered he was the one responsible for my death. But instead of dying, she bargained away her soul to return to our world and protect us, all to bring this curse to an end. These witches,_ ” Luz gestured to the observant group. “ _They each fought with all their power to bring us back together, and the two whose bodies we are in have offered themselves to help us cross over. A human and a witch in love, just like us, amore._ ” The hands dropped to Amity’s shoulders and Luz smiled. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she pulled back in a reaction that only could belong to her and shouted in her voice. “Oh! Oh! Hang on one sec!” Reaching under her collar, Luz pulled out the thin gold chain and carefully removed it from the ring. “I think this belongs to you two.”

Amity’s jaw went slack as Luz dropped to one knee and took her left hand. The sound of shuffling made her glance to the side to see Ghost Host had turned their back, as well as everyone else’s, to them, their wings spread to act as a curtain for privacy. Biting back a laugh of her own, Amity returned her gaze to Luz. They were fourteen, this was a proposal for Emilia. They were fourteen, this was a proposal for Emilia.

“ _Emilia Pandor,_ ” Chiaro’s voice shook as he stared up at them through Luz’s eyes. “ _In many ways, this is not how I expected our lives to turn out, nor did I ever dream we would have the chance to see each other again. I may just be a human from another world who cannot perform magic the same as a witch or demon, but I promise you, not all of the magic on these Isles would be enough for the love I feel for you. You had everything I did not, wealth, a grand house, power, all the protection you could ever want, and yet you chose me, an outsider who had no reason to be in this world. Despite all odds, I kneel before you now, in the body of another human, with the same love and adoration I had for you then as I have for you now. We won’t know what the future will hold for us now that we are to cross over, but I hope you will be there at my side. Not as a human and a witch, but as equals, two souls joined in love. Will you stay with me?_ ”

Tears fell from Amity’s eyes and she was honestly not sure who they belonged to, herself or Emilia, and she nodded. “ _Yes, Chiaro Bane, I will stay by your side forevermore._ ”

Eyes shining with light and tears, Luz slipped the golden band onto Amity’s finger and stood, pulling her close, but stopped. “ _Ah, miscusi, Miss Amity, Miss Luz? I’m not sure if you two are comfortable with us-_ ” His words were cut off when Amity pulled Luz in and the human followed suit, their arms wrapping around each other in a deep and tender kiss.

“They’re smooching again, aren’t they?” Amity heard King groan as they pulled apart, but she just rolled her eyes.

“ _Eloquently put, your majesty._ ” Drawled the Ghost Host, looking over their shoulder to see Amity and Luz holding hands, and smiled. “ _Congratulations. Only one thing left to do now, and this night will be over._ ” The demon rubbed their hands together eagerly, eyeing the witchlings thoughtfully. “ _Miss Skara, how familiar are you with the piano?_ ”

“Uh…” Skara blinked and glanced around the demon at the large silver instrument sitting on the stage. “I know a few tunes...but, why do you want me to -”

“ _You’ll see., Now,_ ” The Ghost Host rubbed their chin, looking around the room. “ _We really need to fix the atmosphere in here...Ah, I know._ ” They snapped their fingers and instantly, the entire ballroom was engulfed in green smoke, obscuring Amity’s vision. Waving at the haze as if dissipated, Amity stared at the now brightly-lit, completely repaired ballroom.

“What the Titan?!”

Amity turned her head and choked on a laugh to see everyone, including King, dressed in the outfits they had worn to Grom, and then she looked at her own Grom dress, the magenta skirt and dark purple bodice with her witch gem set into the chest.

“ _This is...different._ ” She looked at Luz to see the human in the same black tuxedo top and purple leggings, brown laced boots, and ridiculous pink tutu wrapped around her waist. No doubt Chiaro was the one staring in outright surprise at the outfit. “ _Strange...but nice._ ”

“Uh, Ghost Host?” Willow looked at the demon as they strode over to the stage, drawing a spell that cast the instruments in a green light. “What are you doing? Isn’t just reuniting Chiaro and Emilia enough?”

“ _Now, where’s the fun in that?_ ” The Ghost Host swung up onto the stage, helping Skara up to the piano. “ _These two haven’t been together for centuries, and besides, who doesn’t enjoy a little celebratory dance after defeating a dangerous enemy? One final moment to live before crossing over to the next life._ ”

“ _Mezzanotte?_ ” Luz looked up at the stage as she slid her hand around Amity’s waist and took her hand. “ _Are you...going to sing for us?_ ”

The Ghost Host’s smile was wide and they snapped their fingers, dimming the lights of the ballroom. The instruments began to play a soft, slow tune and, when the demon pointed a claw to Skara, the Bard student’s eyes flashed for a moment with green light before turning to the piano and started to tap the keys. With another snap of their fingers, the Ghost Host conjured their staff and its shape melded into a tall microphone. Something Amity did not expect to see the demon to know about, but as they brought it to their lips, a woman’s voice came out, husky and deep, with a light tone that lifted the notes as they started to sing.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

The music washed over Amity as she began to sway in time with Luz’s movements, hands clasped together as they stared into each other’s eyes, never once looking away. This was not like the fast, energized steps they took when fighting Grom. No flashy spins, no dips, and most definitely no abominations being summoned to fight a giant fear demon. Just the two of them, slowly turning in wide circles, guided by the music and the voice of the Ghost Host. Of all the ways for this night to come to a close, Amity had to admit this was not what she was expecting, but, as Luz pulled her in closer and she rested her head on her shoulder, she was happy this was where they were now.

_And now you're beside me_

_And look how far we've come_

_So far we are, so close_

It was funny, she thought, that back in that classroom when she watched the oddest looking abomination spring out of Willow’s cauldron and yell “ta-da!”, all she cared about was upholding her status as Top Student and getting back some silly little badge. Now, here she was, in the arms of the quirky, goofball human, and completely head-over-heels in love. Like how she could feel Emilia’s love for Chiaro. So strong and so overwhelming, it almost hurt, like her heart couldn’t even contain the powerful emotion.

_We're so close to reaching_

_That famous happy end_

_Almost believing_

_This one's not pretend_

What would have happened, she wondered, if she had not had that chance encounter with Luz in the market earlier that very day? Well, that was an easy question to answer. She would still be treading on the thin ice of her fragile emotions, too afraid to admit to Luz how much she cared for her, and this mansion would still be mired in it’s curse. Everything that had happened to them was all because of some silly boiling rain storm and her idea to use the abandoned Pandor Mansion for shelter. If only she had known just what shen was getting them into, but, as she looked up to meet Luz’s eyes, she would not have had it happen any other way.

_Let's go on dreaming_

_For we know we are_

_So close, so close_

_And still so far_

Amity had closed her eyes, feeling lulled into a blissful comfort by the soft swaying of Luz cradling her, not wanting it to end, not caring if their friends were watching them. A soft glow seeped through her lids and she winced, opening her eyes and pulling back to see the silver-blue light from earlier swirling around not just her, but Luz too, surrounding them in a whirlwind as two figures began to emerge behind them. Her eyes widened in dawning recognition, a command she realized was her own, as Emilia and Chiaro smiled at the pair. There was a flash of gold and she looked down to see the solid metal band glinting off Emilia’s finger, and the witch smiled.

“ _Thank you, Luz and Amity._ ” Emilia looked up at the stage to the Ghost Host. “ _Mezzanotte, thank you for everything. You've done so much to protect this house and the souls trapped inside. I only wish there was something we could do to free you._ ”

The Ghost Host shrugged, but Amit could see their grip tighten on the staff in their hands. “ _I know where you’re headed, and trust me, I’d be bored in an instant. Besides,_ ” they grinned at the group of witchlings. “ _I’ve got a new group of souls to protect, and many sins to atone before I can go to rest. You two get out of here, before the real Nowhere Demon decides to make a comeback._ ”

The couple turned to each other and, lacing their hands together, faded away until they were hovering over the floor as orbs of light, and began to drift up to disappearing into the ceiling.

“Wait!” Luz looked at the Ghost Host. “Where are they going?”

The demon shrugged and jumped off the stage to walk to them, Skara following behind. “ _No one really knows what is on the other side of the afterlife, but, if I can take a wild guess, it will be a much better place than the Chaos Realm. Congratulations, Team Owlet, you have broken the curse of Pandor Mansion._ ”

Gus’ eyes wided. “Wait, that’s it? What about the other souls trapped here? What about the mansion? Shouldn’t something happen?”

“ _What did you expect? Fanfare? Fireworks?_ ” The Ghost Host ruffled his hair. “ _Not all curses end in a grand spectacular fashion. Besides, now that the gateway to the afterlife is open, the rest of the happy haunts will be free to cross over when they are ready. All that’s left now is to get you all home._ ”

“Great!” Luz took Amity’s hand. “How do we do that?”

“ _Why, it's very simple. All you need to do is wake up._ ”

Amity watched the smile drop from Luz’s face, her own brimming with confusion. “What do you mean ‘wake up’? We’re already awake. How can we possibly wake up if we’re not dreaming?” She saw a look pass over the Ghost Host’s face as the demon picked Rex and Artemis up from the floor and handed the cobra staff to Luz, not meeting their eyes. “Ghost Host? What’s going on?”

“ _When you agreed to break the curse, you were taken to a dimension overlapping the real world, where the curse was at its strongest and where time stood still. A sort of purgatory existing in between the world of the living and the afterlife. Back on the Boiling Isles, it is early morning, and now, you are free to return to the realm of the living._ ” A bittersweet smile pulled at the demon’s face as they looked at the witchlings. “ _Thank you, all of you. Not just for breaking this curse and freeing these trapped souls, but for giving me a reason to live again. Before all of this, I too was an outcast, refusing to conform to my family's image, unable to find anyone who could make me feel like I belonged. Chiaro and Emilia were the first to see me for who I was and now, even in the body of a demon, you all chose to accept me._ ”

Bottom lip quivering, Luz let go of Amity’s hand and ran to grab the Ghost Host in a tight hug. When Amity saw the tears slipping out from beneath her eyes, she hurried over to join in the embrace, feeling everyone else huddle in. There was a light shuffling as the Ghost Host wrapped their wings around the group, holding them close, their deep purr resonating through Amity’s body.

“You’re part of Team Owlet now, and us weirdos have to stick together.” Sniffling, Luz buried her face in the demon’s chest. “We love you, Mezzanotte,”

“ _I love you too, tesoro, all of you. Please don’t think this is the end. Anytime you need me, know this mansion will be waiting for you. And don’t think I won’t be sending you all off without something to watch over you. But, for now, you all must return to your world._ ” The demon chuckled and Amity felt them lift their hand. “ _Take care of each other, Team Owlet._ ” The sound of their fingers snapping echoed all around as everything went pitck-black and a gust of wind swirled around them, lifting Amity from the warmth of the Ghost Host’s body. She cried out and groped blindly through the darkness, finally feeling a hand wrap around hers.

When her eyes opened, Amity found herself staring up at a ceiling curiously shaped in an octagon design, her back resting on the cushions of a musty-old couch. A warm body was pressed against her side and she turned her head to see Luz crammed between her and the backrest of the couch, rubbing her face with her free hand, the other still holding tightly to Amity’s. Behind them, light seeped through the moldy wooden shutters of a window, giving a hint of early morning sun. Wait, then that meant...Sitting up, Amity stared at the four, regular-sized portraits of four nameless witches on the walls, an empty fireplace, and a cracked mirror hanging over it. Moans filled the room as Gus, Boscha, Willow, Skara, and King slowly stirred awake, all back in their regular clothes. Holding her head, Boscha sat up and rubbed at her third eye.

“What the Titan just happened?”

“The tale has ended for those who have passed,” a voice drifted up from the chair behind the desk, making Gus spring back. “Love endures all, no reason no rhyme. It lasts forever and forever all time.”

“What the?” The witchling darted around and lifted a familiar green orb from the chair. “Madame Leota?”

“Who did you expect? Zolo the Great?” The oracle arched an eyebrow. “The Ghost Host said you all would be leaving with a memento from the mansion. Lucky me gets to stick with you.”

Willow’s eyes widened and she reached into her pocket, pulling out a handful of strange, oval-shaped seeds. “These are...seeds from the Pumpkin King!”

“Great,” Boscha groaned, using Chiaro’s axe as a crutch to stand. “Just when I thought I was done with that freaky thing. At least I get to keep something useful.” She jerked her chin at Skara. “What’d you get?” She frowned at the large metal torch the Bard girl held up. “What the heck is that?”

“Just a memento,” she grinned and Gus snorted.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhh!” squealed King, jumping up and down, hugging **the Art of Demonic Summoning** to his chest. “Yes! Yes! Now I can add to my demon book!”

Seeing the title, Amity rolled her eyes and swung her feet to the floor, helping Luz sit up. “You okay?”

Running her fingers through her hair, Luz sighed and shrugged. “I...I think so.” She laced her fingers with Amity’s and smiled. “We’re together, that’s enough for me.”

“Bleh!” King blew a raspberry at her. “Does that mean I get to keep Rex then?”

Instantly, Luz’ eyes widened. “Say what?” She flipped over to stare at the cobra palisman resting against the arm of the couch. Eagerly, she grabbed the staff and held it up, but nothing happened. The palisman’s eyes were closed, the white stripes over its lids unmoving, the hood retracted.

“I guess he’s back to sleeping again,” Amity muttered, seeing the disappointed look on the human’s face. “I’m sure he’ll wake up.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. So,” Luz turned to her. “What about you? What’d GH leave you?”

It was then Amity felt something small and narrow in her hand and she looked down to see a long, shadowy black stylus resting in her palm.

“Oooooh,” Luz leaned over. “What’s that? A new training wand?”

Chuckling, Amity held it up. “Something like that.”

A dull thud filled the room, and everyone went still, jumping when another quickly followed.

“What was that?” Gus whimpered, hugging Madame Leota’s crystal to his side.

Slowly, Boscha stood and, lifting her axe, walked to the door to pull it open. Another thud echoed and a voice cut through the air.

“Hey, kiddo! You in there?”

The door flew open, knocking Boscha to the floor, and a tall figure appeared, her mass of grey hair taking up most of the doorframe, owl staff clutched in her hand, and her feral dual gold and grey eyes locked onto Luz. Sheepishly, the human girl shrank back on the couch and snapped a finger gun at her mentor.

“Heeeey Eda...so...funny story...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter to go. Holy Titan.


	16. After the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SWolf: No, I’m not crying, I don’t know what you’re talking about! You’re crying! *sniffles loudly*  
> GH: *hands tissue to SWolf* All good things must come to an end.  
> SWolf:*blows nose*  
> GH: You still have a preview for them, don’t you?  
> SWolf: ...yeah...Okay, here we go!

The Owl Lady stared at the odd collection of witchlings scattered about the room before she returned her gaze to Luz. The look she was giving her made Luz feel like she was about to get a serious smack upside the head, especially when Eda took in the assortment of burns all along her arms, the cut on her cheek, and the shredded remains of her clothes. Too bad GH couldn’t have mended them for her.

“What the heck happened to you?” Eda crossed the room in long strides to grab Luz’s wrists and pulled on her arms to look at the burns. “You look like you took a shower in the boiling rain!”

Luz winced at the very fresh memory of Damien throwing her out the window. “Something like that…” she winced as Eda gingerly prodded a burn on her forearm and looked at Amity, seeing the ripped fabric of her shirt sleeve and the puckered scar on her shoulder beneath. Amity swallowed when she met Eda’s eyes, hands fisting on the cushion she was sitting on.

“We ran into some trouble yesterday and decided to take shelter here from the rain.”

“Nobody asked you, Minty Fresh. Thanks to you the Doubles were waking me up at o’dark thirty asking if you were with Luz, and I had to drag Lily out of bed so we could find you kids!” Pulling back, Eda turned on her heel to survey the rest of the room, frowning at the glowing crystal ball that housed Madame Leota. “Who the heck are you?”

“I am Madame Leota, seer of all and voice to the spirits.

“Huh, that’s a mouthful.”

“I’m sorry Eda,” Luz stared at the floor as her mentor turned around. “It’s my fault. When Amity suggested we hide out here, we met this demon called the Ghost Host who asked us to break a curse and, well,”

“Wait...Ghost Host?” Luz looked up to see Eda’s eyebrows raised. “Were they about seven or so feet tall, all shadows, horns, and wings? Liked to go on about being caretaker for some ‘happy haunts’? Kind of a showboat?”

Luz’s jaw went slack. “You...know them?”

“Know them?” A loud snort came from the Owl Lady as she threw back her head and laughed. “Are you kidding? I used to hang out here all the time as a witchling, and when I was cursed, good ol’ Ghost Host with the Most helped me get a lid on the Owl Beast. Said they knew what it was like to...well...be a monster. So,” Eda grinned, resting a hand on her hip to lean against Owlbert. “I’m going to go out on a limb as say you all beat the Pandor Curse? Oh man, I can’t wait to hear the details. But, not right now,” ruffling Luz’s hair, Eda turned around and walked to the door, waving over her shoulder. “C’mon kiddos, let’s get you all home.”

Luz and Amity looked at each other, the meaning of the word sinking in. Home, where Amity would have to face her parents and either hide the secret that she was not only pining for, but was now actually, in love with, a human. Or, tell them all what had happened during the boiling rainstorm. The cautionary tale of Emilia and Chiaro, the words of the Ghost Host, all flooded their thoughts, prickling at them with the cold claws of fear. If Amity’s parents forbade them from ever seeing each other again...Luz shook her head. No, she was not going to let that happen. They would not repeat the same tragic history of the Pandor family.

“It’s going to be okay, Amity,” she whispered as they stood, taking up Rex in her free hand and holding Amity’s. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, or to us. Even if it means I have to go ghost and use the Phantom Glyph to go on a date with you, I’ll do it.”

Amity’s eyes widened and her face went bright pink. “D-d-date?!”

“Oh,” Luz swallowed. “Uh. Did you not want to? I-I just thought since you and me are now - at least I think we are - or maybe not? I mean,” she cleared her throat and faced Amity completely. “Let me try again. Amity Blight, would you like to go on a date with me?”

“I…”

“ _ Oh for the love of Titan, just say yes. _ ”

The two girls sprang apart and looked around the room. Everyone else had already left and were walking out the main doors, having taken their mementoes with them. Luz whipped her head about, but all was quiet. No large shadow hiding in the corner or lounging against the wall. Blinking, Luz shook her head. “Huh, maybe we should get out of here?”

Amity nodded, giving the room a cautious look. “We probably should.”

They hurried out of the Portrait Room, but Luz paused briefly to look over her shoulder up at the painting of Emilia and her parents over the main hall. It was just like she remembered it when they first came in, but now, there was a very subtle smile curling at the corners of Emilia’s lips and a soft light seemed to shine in her eyes. Lowering her gaze to the hall, Luz thought for a second she saw a candelabra hovering in the shadows, but when she blinked, it was gone.

“Luz?” Amity touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Giving the hallway one final look, Luz sighed and faced the witch. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s get going.”

When they stepped out of the doors and onto the front porch, the sun hit Luz like a warm spotlight, making her wince briefly at the golden hue. After having spent so much trapped in a perpetual night, the feeling of sunlight on her skin, even the burn marks from the rain, was a dizzying comfort she had not realized how much she missed.

“There they are! Luz!”

“Mittens!”

Luz jumped as two bodies crashed into them, trapping them in a joint bear-hug. Wriggling her face free from the dark green hair blocking her eyes, Luz stared at Emira as she hugged her in one arm while the other was wrapped around Amity’s shoulders. Edric had Amity pinned from the other side and was nuzzling the top of her head with his cheek.

“We were so worried about you, Mittens! We didn’t know where you had gone after the storm hit!”

For once, Amity did not look so annoyed with her siblings, though she did shoot an exasperated look at Luz that had the human stifling a laugh.

“Ed! Em! Can’t breathe!”

The twins released the girls and took a step back to look them both over.

“What in the Titan’s name happened to you?!”

“Where’d you get that cool palisman, Luz?”

“Why is your shirt torn, Mittens?”

“We told Mom and Dad you were waiting out the rain at the library!”

Sighing, Amity held up a hand to stop her siblings before they could fire more questions. “It’s a long story. I promise I’ll tell you two what happened, but for now, we’re both really exhausted.”

Ed and Em must have taken the hint their little sister was not going to say anything more and nodded, though Luz caught the knowing look Emira gave her when she glanced at their clasped hands. Following the steps down to the main path, Luz saw their friends waiting for then, along with Eda and Lilith, who were talking quietly together until Eda saw them approaching.

“Alrighty kids, let's get you all home. Lily, you take Shortstack, Glasses, and the talking paperweight back to Bonesborough, I’ll bring Luz back to the Owl House.”

Gus, Madame Leota, and Willow looked at each other.

“Shortstack?”

“Glasses?”

“Paperweight?” 

“What about us?” Skara asked when Eda turned to her.

“You and Triclops will be heading back with the Doubles, since you all are of the ‘elite’.”

Luz snickered at Bosha’s reaction to Eda’s nickname for her. The Owl Lady flicked her wrist and Owlbert’s wings sprang out as she straddled the staff.

“Okay kiddo, time to get you home and take care of those burns. Think you can get that new staff of yours to work?”

Rex’s scales glimmered in the sunlight and Luz slowly lifted the palisman to look at the closed lids and retracted hood. She felt Amity squeeze her hand reassuringly before she let go. Luz immediately missed the feel of her fingers laced with hers, but she slowly took the staff in both hands and set the end to the ground.

“Rex?” No response. “Rex? Are you in there?” The cobra was as silent as a statue and a lump formed in Luz’s throat. Slumping forward, she trudged to the waiting Owl Lady. “I guess not.”

A sudden hiss from below made her freeze as something small, narrow, and wet flicked across the back of her hand. Luz started, opened mouthed, and lifted her arm to stare at the glowing eyes of Mezzanotte’s palisman, the white stripes stretching back across his eyes to curve into his wide-spread hood. The cobra hissed at her and tasted the air with his tongue, his eyes no longer the lavender color from before, but now a deep violet, similar to the shade Luz always preferred.

“Wow,” Eda said as Luz continued to gape at the cobra. “That’s one unique palisman. Think he’ll be able to keep up with Owlbert?”

Looking to her mentor, Luz grinned widely and mounted the staff. “Dunno, he’s a pretty fast flyer. Think you’ll be able to keep up?”

Eda raised an eyebrow at the challenge, letting King climb on behind her. “How bout this? Last one home gets to feed Hooty for the weekend!”

“You’re on!”

“Wait, Luz!”

Rex halted in place as Amity ran up to Luz, grabbing hold of the staff. “I never answered your question.”

Luz blinked. “Oh, that’s okay. You don’t have to right now. Like you said, we’ve been through a lot and you need to head back home. We can talk about it la-” she was cut short by Amity yanking the staff close to wrap her arm around her neck and kiss her deeply. Behind them, Edric and Emira, Lilith, and Eda all went slack-jawed.

“Uh, King?” The Owl Lady whispered. “Exactly what happened in that mansion?”

The demon waved his paw dismissively. “Meh, nothing too crazy. Just another ‘doomed lovers being reunited after a tragic death’ situation, and Luz and Amity professing their love to each other.”

Eda blinked at the demon and looked back to the girls. “Sounds pretty crazy to me.”

Smiling against the human’s lips, Amity pulled back and stared up at Luz from beneath her lashes. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Luz Noceda.”

All Luz could do was open and close her mouth wordlessly as she tried to remember how to speak. She was really going to have to figure out this sort of thing so Amity wouldn’t keep getting the best of her. Finally, she managed to choke out a squeak, then cleared her throat, face burning red. “Oh, okay, great! Um, I’ll, uh, text you on your scroll!” She smiled and nodded to Willow, Gus, Boscha, and Skara. “Thanks guys for everything. See you all at school on Monday!” Turning back to Eda, Luz grasped the wood beneath Rex and leaned forward. “Alright Rex, lets go!”

The cobra let out a hiss and took off, leaving a small cloud of dust in their wake as they circled overhead of the group and above the roof of Pandor Mansion. From so high, it looked like nothing more than an abandoned, ancient, and decrepit manor, not an enchanted labyrinth that housed countless souls and a powerful demon to watch over them. Movement caught Luz’s eye and she saw a brief shape appear behind the shattered glass door of Emilia’s room. A pair of gold and red eyes glinted from a humanoid mass of rippling shadows that lifted a long clawed hand to her in a wave.

“ _ Ciao, Luz Noceda. _ ” And then it was gone, nothing but a tattered curtain swaying in the breeze.

“Hey, kiddo!”

Luz turned her head to see Eda hovering nearby.

“You gonna float there all day or show me what that thing can do?”

Shooting one more look back at the broken window she had crashed through, Luz shook her head and grinned at her mentor. “Last one home is a rotten griffin egg!”

Wind sang in her ears as Rex all but jet streamed past Eda, making her yell out as she rocketed after Luz, quickly closing in. Leaning forward, Luz urged Rex to go faster, watching as his hood flared out like wings to catch an air current, and she smiled. She had broken a two-hundred year-old curse, made friends with a Nowhere Demon, and had a date with Amity Blight. A popular, powerful, beautiful witch who loved her, a quirky, weirdo human goofball.

_ Yup. _ She thought to herself, holding out her arms to feel the rush of the wind around her, grin stretching across her face. Better than any Azura adventure she could have ever wished for _. _ It was a major win for Team Owlet, and she was going to treasure it.

From the shadows of Emilia Pandor’s bedroom, the Ghost Host watched Luz sail through the sky on Rex, her mentor following close behind. Grinning, the demon chanced a look to the ground where the witchlings had begun to disperse, going back to their homes. Their gaze lingered on the bright mint-green hair of Amity and darted back up to Luz’s disappearing form.

The Blight family would not be happy to learn of their youngest daughter’s budding romantic relationship with the human girl, not to mention the fact she had dared enter Pandor Mansion, a place her family loathed. If there was anything Mezzanotte knew of the Blights, they always had a legitimate reason for deciding when anything was not worth their time. At least, legitimate to them. Something she could speak to from personal experience, but, that would be for another time. Pushing off the wall where she had been leaning her shoulder against, Mezzanotte turned her back to the daylight and walked into the darkened halls of the mansion. A portal had been opened to the Chaos Realm, and, unfortunately, it was not a one-demon-only invitation. She had sensed others when the Nowhere Demon returned to the realm, a sort of parting gift left by the Greater One. That meant there was much to do and very little time to do it in.

But for now, she would leave the newly formed Team Owlet to enjoy their well-earned peace, and maybe, just maybe, it would be enough for Luz and Amity to earn their time together truthfully as a couple and not have to sneak around. She knew they would have to face a great many challenges, lessons that would test them to their limits, enemies who would want to tear them apart. She believed in them. The love between the two was strong, the strongest she had seen in a very long time, and that was something worth fighting for. Besides, if anything did happen, their friends would be there for them. However, if all else failed, the Ghost Host smiled, there was always her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I mean. Wow. If someone had told me back in the end of September this silly little idea of a four-part Halloween special for the Owl House fandom would turn into a sixteen chapter story - dare I say, my best work ever? - I would not have believed it. What is even more amazing is the fact so many of you not only enjoyed, but genuinely care for, the character of the Ghost Host. I would have bet money against that idea and lost. As in, a ton of snails worth. I wish I could sum it all up in the amount of letters I’m allowed to use for this End Note, but, I don’t want to bore you all with a word dump. The best thing I can do is say: thank you. Thank you to each an every one of you who encouraged me to continue on with this idea and have it grow into such an amazing story. It’s a very bittersweet feeling to see this story come to an end, but I promise you, we are not done with Team Owlet, or our good friend the Ghost Host, aka, Mezzanotte. And so, as a little parting gift, I’ll leave you all with a sneak peek for the next installment of the Team Owlet series. I hope you all enjoy it, and I will see you all soon.  
> Ciao, SWolf.
> 
> Ghosts of Slithermas Eve:  
> For hundreds of years, the residents of Boiling Isles have celebrated the longest night of the year as the holiday Slithermas, named for the beasts that gather that one night to present a special tree branch to their chosen mate. On that night, Blight Manor hosts the grandest party ever for the rich and powerful, but this year, something is different. Something, or someone, is haunting the Blight household and interrupting their plans. With the fate of Slithermas at stake, Luz may just get her wish to spend the holiday with Amity as Team Owlet gathers to solve the mystery. If only she can find the perfect gift for her first...


End file.
